iDeath
by nevvt
Summary: (as mentioned in SoN) The god Thanatos has an iPad he uses to keep track of escaped souls- and as it turns out, there is an app to take lives. Things go horribly wrong when said iPad falls into the mortal world, into the hands of a demigod who's angry at life. Based on Death Note's main point.
1. Chapter 1

**( A/N: Okay so this is set after the Heroes of Olympus series- the 7 have defeated Gaea, though Hazel stayed behind to close the Doors of Death, Frank's stick burned *and he burned bright, his sacrifice was vital to stop Gaea* the Roman attack on Camp Half-Blood had few deaths and now both camps are connected through portals Carter *from Kane Chronicles, if you read Son of Sobek you'll understand, Percy called him* set up. It's recommended you've read up to MoA. This is my first story pls be nice)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

The day I found the iPad was also the two-month anniversary of my grandfather's death.

It's a hurtful, horrible thing, as he didn't die from old age- he was murdered. My grandparents lived in México, close to the border, where it's most violent with the drug cartel wars and everything- he was a casual victim in a shootout of one of those cartels.

They didn't even_ mean_ to kill him, he was just there at the most wrong time he could have been going to the store or something. Point is he was shot and dead before he even reached the hospital. My dad and I- we live in San Antonio, Texas, so there's not much we could do about it but attend his funeral and bring my grandmother over to live with us.

Being a half-blood means facing death on a daily basis- if someone dies on a quest, gets killed by something nasty going for a walk or is blown up at their school- monsters are a threat for us 24/7- less so now, that the second great prophecy is over and _most _of us made it... two of them didn't, two half-bloods from the prophecy- Frank Zhang a son of Mars and Hazel Levesque a daughter of Pluto.

I don't want to get into much detail, because that's still very fresh in the mind of both camps- Jupiter and Half-Blood- but those two gave their life to stop Gaea before she could fully wake and sent her back to sleep for millions of years- hopefully even more.

After Olympus had somewhat settled down and both Camps were more at ease, Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, set up two portals with the help of some "magician dude" he didn't share many details about, just that his name was Carter. Anyway this Carter set up the portals so Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter were connected- yep, just step into the swirling vortex and you go from Long Island to San Francisco in seconds. Percy says it's very important that we work together and stay close with the Romans, we are all children of the gods or their legacies or whatever and we should have each other's back if we are again faced with a common enemy.

I'm getting off track- _death_. I've endured my share of death, not counting my grandfather. I lost friends in the Titan War, another half-sister on a quest- but nothing broke me up more than Joey's death. His death is probably more unfair than my grandfather's.

Joey had been my friend, and was the only killed when Camp Jupiter attacked, egged on by the crazy Augur Octavian and a reluctant praetor Reyna. Nobody will admit the spear that ended Joey's life was theirs- how could they? Of course some Romans tried to justify it, "we lost two of our campers on the quest- at least you only lost one!" Reyna had the grace to be very ashamed of what one of her little "soldiers" had done. I guess that's why they agreed to make peace between camps- since Leo, one of ours, had unintentionally attacked their camp starting all of this.

But I wasn't satisfied with that- where was the justice for Joey? He really did not deserve what happened to him, and there are at least 5 people-including Octavian himself- who could be responsible, but of course nobody can prove anything and that makes me seethe with rage.

And that very elaborated memory came to my mind as I walked the edges of the forest at Camp Half-Blood, reaching a clearing where the forest met the beach. I'd just got off the phone with my grandmother (phones were usually not allowed but Chiron made an exception) and the conversation ended with her crying so hard I had to hang up, so I figured I'd take a walk to try and calm myself too.

My family is really small- it's just my grandmother, my father and my aunt (but she still lives in México, by herself) and, well, my mother. Athena, goddess of wisdom. It's going to sound really arrogant but- I'm clever. Maybe not in the ace-everything-with-perfect-grades kind of clever, but for other things yes- or at least that's what I try to convince myself of, because at times I don't really feel like a daughter of Athena at all.

Honestly sometimes I think the giant owl claiming thingamajig above my head years ago was a lie because I see myself more a daughter of Nemesis or even Themis- I share way too many things in common with them than I'd like to admit.

Again my thoughts are interrupted by my sneaker stepping on something flat that's not soft earth. At first I figure it's a stone or something but I'm very surprised when I step back and see the iPad facedown.

It's not a normal iPad, either. It doesn't have the Apple logo on the back- it has the Greek letter omega Ω. When I pick it up it weighs like a normal iPad, sleek and pure black. And then I press the home button and the screen comes to life.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

It didn't ask me for a password, and I wasn't expecting that, with all of the children of Hermes/Mercury that were around nowadays you had to keep things like this close and password protected- but apparently the owner of this iPad was either very confident or really stupid.

Either way I almost dropped the overpriced device when I saw the wallpaper- it was a very handsome man with skin the color of teakwood, with dark hair flowing over his shoulders and amazing honey gold eyes- and he was making a duck face. I didn't know whether to laugh or be horrified so I kind of did both- a surprised laugh but my eyes were still wide.

All this man needed to do was the peace sign and he'd be a 14-year old girl on Facebook. His pout/puckered lips were hilarious for a man with such a regal face- a familiar face, too. When most of the people you knew were related one way or another faces was something I'd become good at. My fingers suddenly tightened around the edges of the probably not Apple device- as I saw beyond the duck face and into the rest of the picture- the man had _wings_.

The wingspan was so large that those wings may have actually worked and were not just for show- his wings glimmered shades of black, blue and purple. I bit at my thumbnail- an annoying habit I picked from a friend and now I did it when I was nervous as an idea formed in my mind.

"Oh, you found it."

I leaped into the air as the deep voice startled me, the iPad almost falling but I managed to grip it close to my chest. I swiveled around to find the man with the duck face staring at me, looking calm- in person I could see that he was very tall, and very muscular with wings and everything- and probably a god, like I began to suspect a few seconds ago.

He was hovering a few inches from the ground, the wings making a lazy flapping that didn't cause any air to hit my face for some reason. Yep, this guy was an immortal. I accepted my Greek god heritage alright, and this crazy world with monsters and gods- but I tried to stay out of the way of both to be honest.

"Natalia Ganem," the way he said my name, it reminded me of when a teacher took attendance, "death has been unkind to you, hasn't it?"

"I... who are you?" I resisted the urge to bring my thumbnail back to my lips, immortals have always made me uneasy and I couldn't quite place who this was.

He ignored me and landed softly on the grass, tucking his dark wings behind him, "that's mine," he said, pointing with his chin at the iPad in my hands.

Not wanting any trouble, I held it out, "you can have it, I don't want it."

"It was stolen from me, and it ended up in the mortal world," he said, again sounding teacher-like and freaking me out even more. "but, unfortunately... it has rules," he glared at the iPad, "so, for now, it's yours Natalia."

"But- what? _Mine_? Demigods aren't supposed to-"

"It's not ordinary, as you may have already guessed," he cut me off gently, "you are its owner now... this may play out to be very interesting," his golden eyes never left my green ones which made me very uncomfortable. He sighed, "I am Thanatos-"

"Oh... _oh_," I managed as everything clicked. The god of death. Well crap. Percy and the two others that died- Frank and Hazel- months ago they went on a quest for the other camp to free this god, who had been captured by a giant. "um, I'm still very, very confused."

He tilted his head, "you are a child of Athena, yes?"

"Yes, and we're allowed to be confused," my voice came out with more of a snap than I intended it to, "but, Lord Thanatos- like, who stole this from you? Why is it mine? _What do I do with it?_"

Death himself seemed a little troubled after all my questions but he smiled, understanding, "I don't want to point any fingers, but... Eris is among my main suspects."

I almost choked on my own spit, " Eris... the Eris of chaos? the goddess?"

He nodded, the troubled look returning to his face, "she enjoys causing all kinds of discord, Eris does. Apparently this time around she picked you as her pawn, Natalia," his golden eyes shone with newfound amusement. "perhaps even my sister Nemesis, though this is usually not her style..."

"But... can't you take it back? I don't even know what it does..."

"Child, as I said, this thing has rules. When it was stolen, it became the thief's. And now the thief has passed it on to you- so it is yours," out of thin air he pulled out an iPad just like this one, but it was smaller, like an iPad mini, "luckily I have a backup," his golden eyes narrowed, "not quite as powerful, but it will suffice for now."

I glanced at the black screen on my own iPad, Thanato's goofy wallpaper face had disappeared and I bit down on my lip, not sure what to say. Thanatos sensed my discomfort and tapped the screen on his iPad mini and showed me an app.

"This is to give you an idea of what you'll be doing quite soon I expect," there was long number on the display, "ESCAPED SOULS" in big bold letters above the number and a map of the world with red dots in many places.

I sighed, a little relieved, "so it just tells me about the souls that escaped the Underworld?"

Thanatos seemed to suppress a smile as he tapped a couple more things on his screen, "no, that's the most uninteresting feature to be quite honest... this," he turned the screen so I could look at it again, "this is its main purpose."

He'd started up another app- but this one was a lot scarier and I gasped as the responsibility and power probably Eris had given me dawned on me.

It read;

**NAME**

**CAUSE OF DEATH**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

"This is horrible," I felt sick all of a sudden, and I turned my head away from the god's small iPad. The one in my hands suddenly felt a lot more important, now that apparently besides playing Angry Birds and Candy Crush I could also _kill _people with it.

Thanatos face was sad, even a little sympathetic, "you can't give it back to me, or else _you'll_ be the one dying, Natalia. But you don't have to kill anyone- it's yours to keep, do with it as you please. When you die, it will be mine again," he added as an afterthought. That wasn't comforting at all, and even less so when he handed me a little card.

"What's this?" my voice was a few pitches lower than usual.

"Instructions," Death replied, "just in case you'll fall for Eris' little game. "

I felt a pang of anger, like the ones I felt sometimes when I thought about Joey or my grandfather, "this is stupid! _why_ me?"

"The fates are cruel," Thanatos offered, just repeating the thing I'd been hearing since that goddess of Wisdom claimed me as her daughter years ago. _The fates are cruel, the gods saw it fit, the oracle foresaw it. _Suddenly a thought stuck me.

"Wait... I thought only the Fates could control the thread of life and all that?"

"Yes, but what you have in your hands right now is... a cheating device. A premature death," Thanatos seemed to be tired of all my questions- when, really, he shouldn't be. I had it a lot worse than he.

"Why don't you just kill me and take it?"

He shook his head, his impatience starting to show, "it's, ah, how do I put this... property of the human world now, property of you. I can't just kill you and take it, that would be..." he shrugs his muscled shoulders and after a brief moment adds, "besides, the more I think about it, the wickeder this gets- Eris may yet be up to something, and I'm becoming interested in seeing the outcome of her little scheme."

Wow why did this attitude not surprise me. Seriously the gods need to get their priorities and their sources of entertainment checked. I could feel every beat of my heart against my chest- it was going so fast, this was crazy- even to modern day god standards. I tucked the iPad under my arm and read the "instructions" Thanatos had given me.

-The human or monster whose name is written in the **NAME** box shall die

-This will not take effect unless the owner has the person/monster's face in their mind when typing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.

-If the cause of death is written within the next 40 seconds of typing the person's name, it will happen.

-If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack.

-It will not affect those over 780 years old.

-The device will be rendered useless if the victim's name is misspelled four times.

-If the victim's name was misspelled on purpose four or more times, the user along with the victim will die.

I flipped the card, and there was _another _side printed with instructions but this was enough. I slipped it into the pocket of my jeans and faced the god of death again.

"There's a lot of clauses and rules, among other things," Thanatos said wistfully, I'm guessing he was starting to feel bad for me, "those will show in the instructions if you're curious. I may stop by and see how owning this device is affecting the will of the Fates and if the other gods even care about this remarkable turn of events."

"_Are_ they going to care?"

"We can't meddle with mortal affairs- after all, how many times have the gods sat by and watch the world be destroyed? Watched as you humans tore each other apart?" Death shook his head, "I don't think anyone other than me will bother you."

I sighed, feeling defeated, "can I at least change the wallpaper?"

"Like I said," he smiled, "it's yours now," and as his form began to glow I raised my forearm to cover my eyes- didn't wanna vaporize on the spot- and when I lowered my arm he was gone and I was left with the iPad of death and a handful of instructions.

I made it back to the Athena Cabin before the harpies ate me. All of my siblings were out- there were plenty of things to do other than sulk in the cabin all day, and I'm sure they were doing those things. On the way here I figured the unusual design on the back of the iPad would attract unwanted attention- the only thing remotely similar to this was Annabeth Chase's laptop, which has the letter Delta ∆ on the lid, which she got from Daedalus the inventor himself.

The cover story formed quickly in my mind; this was a gift from a god (which was kind of true, sort of, not really). It wasn't unusual for the godly parents to give presents to their children, Clarisse got a spear from Ares and Annabeth got an invisibility cap from our mother, so I hoped nobody would really question it.

And then another thing; did Percy Jackson know about this thing when he met Thanatos in Alaska?

_No, he probably doesn't, _a voice much like my own whispered in my mind, _the other two might have... but they're dead._

The cabin was anything but chilly, and still a shiver made its way up my spine. Nobody that could stop me was alive, the gods might know but they "can't interfere with mortals", and since this thing clearly can't kill them I don't think they would help.

_Nobody that could stop me, _ stop me from using it. Was I actually...

I was violently snapped out of my dark thoughts for like the umpteenth time that day by the door opening and slamming closed, and someone grabbing my shoulders and spinning me around so I was facing them.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

"What- _Adrian_!" my face was inches from the Hispanic boy's, his brown eyes were wide and alarmed, and I shrugged my way out of his grasp, "what are you doing-?"

"You've got to see the news!" he said, his voice urgent. I was about to tell him I was busy at the moment, but upon closer inspection I realized his eyes were not only very alarmed but also rimmed red- he'd been crying. And- oh, Hades, now I remember-he'd been there with me in the Big House as I'd called my grandma- because he had called his mom too.

The Fates work in a funny, actually not-at-all-funny way. See, Adrian's from Mexico too, we arrived at Camp together in fact- his mom had stayed back. This same drug cartel that killed my grandfather- they'd shot his mother too in another random shootout fighting over territory or something (go figure.) Sadly we shared this in common- also that we were children of the gods, he's a son of Hermes.

She didn't die -thank the gods- but her hip's in bad shape, so every time I'm allowed the phone he gets a chance to call up his mom, too.

"News?" I asked, holding the iPad close to my chest and trying to hide the omega letter with my arms.

He didn't even notice, "yeah after you left I kind of stayed there, um," he sniffled, "watching the T.V over Chiron's shoulder- you know how he's been keeping a close eye for unusual things in the mortal world ever since Gaea- anyway, point is- there's live feed of Mexico right now, and get this-" he took a deep breath, "they caught them. The drug cartel- the-"

"The _Mesitas_?" that's what the cartel was called, or so the police had told us.

"Well, not _all of it_, but like 20 people or so. Maybe even one of their bosses!" he said excitedly, "maybe our families will get some justice after all."

"Will we?" my voice came out so harsh Adrian flinched." sorry, Adrian, I'm just-" I sighed "it's been a weird day."

Adrian smiled understandingly and wrapped his arm around me, "I know, it was two months ago..." he gave me a squeeze, "but you should really go see for yourself, it... um, made me feel better, kind of," he dropped his arm, seeming embarrassed.

"I will," I promised and walked over to my bunk bed, "just not right now..."

"Yeah, okay, sure," he nodded, "are you... coming for dinner, Nat?"

"Not hungry, "I turned my back on him so he couldn't see me switch on the iPad and slide the screen to unlock it, "I'll talk to you tomorrow, today's not a good day."

"...I understand," and I heard the door close behind him.

_Why does Thanatos have Skype, who is he going to- ah, holy Zeus! _a list of contacts in alphabetical order appeared on the screen, from Aphrodite to Zeus and a few extra ones. The gods were sure getting with the modern times. He had a chat open with _Hades_, and even with the god of sleep, Hypnos.

_They're twin brothers smart one! _the newcomer voice in my head that was my voice but not really chimed in. The same voice that had considered using the iPad for- um, how did Thanatos put it? "its main purpose."

Deciding I didn't want calls from _any_ gods, I logged out of Thanato's Skype. So four apps remained- that escaped souls tracking thing, the death one... a safari explorer and Twitter for some reason. I decided to leave Thanato's most intimate Twitter thoughts alone, because honestly the idea of the gods tweeting anything was just flat out disturbing for me.

_Might as well see who the little shits that killed grandpa are, _I opened up the browser and looked up the _Mesitas_. Immediately very recent articles popped up, videos and pictures, too.

I double tapped on the first link and sat down on the lower bunk I shared with one of my half-sisters, placing the iPad on my lap. Soon the light from it was the only source of light in the room, besides the orange-ish light the setting sun outside provided. The soft glow illuminated my face as I read through the article.

Apparently the Mexican police broke into one of the Mesitas safe houses, finding them, weapons, drugs, and a lot of money. It was about 10 men and 5 women, but one of the men stood out from the rest. _Pablo Ruiz._

He had tan skin and a thick black mustache, a few hairs on his scalp, squinty eyes, he was wearing a green Ralph Lauren shirt with his hands bound to his back and two police officers at his side. The article said this was presumably one of the leaders of the Mesitas.

For the second time that day I felt the pang of rage go through me, this ugly feeling in the pit of my stomach that spread to the rest of my body very fast- but this time it didn't go away. It lingered, as I looked article after article, all of them pointing to this man, Pablo Ruiz, the intense feeling grew stronger.

_He was probably responsible for grandpa's death, _a tiny voice at the edge of my mind chirped, actually _the _tiny voice I couldn't seem to control. I guess it's staying. _Maybe for Adrian's mom, too._

I bit at my thumbnail, a temptation I hadn't felt ever crossing my mind and remaining there like the anger. _Killing someone, having that kind of power._

_Is this what the gods feel?_

I blink, next thing I know, two bolded words are staring back at me on the screen.

**NAME**

**CAUSE OF DEATH**

_And anyway why would Thanatos let me keep this? And trust me with it? Still, this Pablo man is probably going to get a bail ... that happens in Mexico, and if he's this powerful drug lord... _my resolution crumbles like Octavian's dream to become praetor.

My hand is trembling as I tap the **NAME **box and the keyboard comes up. **PABLO RUIZ.**

I release a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. My hand is a little steadier, but my breathing is still hard. _I'm really doing this, I'm really doing this. _My eyes shift to the next box, ** CAUSE OF DEATH. **Thanato's instructions said that if I didn't specify this man would die in 40 seconds from heart failure- and also, I had to picture the man's face, so people of the same name wouldn't be affected.

His face pops up in my mind easily- the mustache, the thick nose, the squinty eyes. I tap the home button and the app disappears, and I bring up a link I'd visited earlier about this man- they were live streaming a press conference on the safe house and I don't really even know what they were showing; my nerves were on edge with what I'd just done- or was about to do.

An imaginary clock ticking in my mind I reach to the bunk above mine where I know my sister keeps her earphones. I plug them in and settle down on my bed, the screen inches from my face as the conference continues.

They made a pyramid with all the money found in the safe house- a colorful stack of Mexican Pesos- with the drugs in plastic bags and all the rifles and guns in display for everyone to see. I've never understood why they did this, but no matter the 40 seconds were almost up.

Pablo Ruiz looks exactly like in the picture but live- breathing, scowling, bound Pablo.

_5 seconds._

A man's talking in Spanish, talking about how these criminals will soon face justice.

_3 seconds._

Camera flashes snap pictures relentlessly of Pablo's face, illuminating his glaring features for a couple of seconds before another round of flashes assaults him.

_One._

* * *

**A/N: The Mesitas aren't real, I made them up, didn't want to use a real drug cartel. In the last chapter it said "****It will not affect those over 780 days old.- i meant to say "years" so gods can't be killed- sorry about that!**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

A wave of regret fills me and then quickly leaves just as fast as it had come, and is replaced by confusion when nothing-

_"Pero- pero hombre, ¿qué pasa? un doctor, un doctor por favor!" _The two guards besides Pablo are too shocked to do much but stare, as Pablo's body shudders once and collapses to the floor, someone in a blue coat blocks the camera that had been filming for my end- but I can still hear the confused, angry voices yelling in Spanish and suddenly the image is cut off and it kicks out all users from the livestream.

I yank the earphones off and shove the iPad under my pillow, my whole body trembling uncontrollably. If I stood up I'd probably fall over, I was both amazed and horrified about what had just happened- what I'd just _made _happen. But then those feelings die down and I'm left feeling both hot and cold as an unfamiliar feeling spreads through my body, and I don't know how that can be but I can't describe it any other way.

_Power, _the voice in my head says proudly, _this feeling, taking a life? That's what the gods feel, what the Fates feel. The ultimate tool to right all the wrongs in this world. This is what you wanted, isn't it, Natalia? Take justice on your own hand._

I feel that chill that had invaded the Athena Cabin earlier and I shiver again, this voice was inside me, and it was definitely not me doing the talking. But the things the voice said, it all clicked right with me. I didn't feel bad for Pablo- maybe I did for a split second, but the voice was right- I should have stepped up long ago. To those who deserved justice and didn't get it- now, it was up to me to right those wrongs.

_So is this the will of the gods?_

_Probably not, _I decided, swinging my legs which were now a lot steadier over my bed and standing up a little shakily, _but I don't really care. And I'm starving._

I used to think it was stupid when people became obsessed with power... but now I understood it. It was addicting. You got wrapped up in it and before you realize it you were, well, addicted. I wasn't exactly captivated with _killing_ - though it was satisfying to some extent to see the public's bewilderment and see justice being made.

Adrian couldn't have been happier when all the people involved with his mother's shooting and my grandfather's death were suddenly dead. I experimented other deaths with the iPad, so the heart attacks didn't become too repetitive and arouse suspicion- though it already had.

What were the chances that a whole band of drug dealers suddenly dropping dead when their names and faces got released to the public?

I did my reading on Thanatos' instructions, and I could actually use suicide as a cause of death since basically all humans are thought to possess the possibility to commit suicide, I could also set the time of death- among other things. My wits as a child of Athena were finally useful for something.

Unfortunately, it was too good to be true that suddenly all the known terrorists and murderers were just dying- they were starting to suspect. Not only outside the camp's magical borders, but word of all the mysterious deaths had reached both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter.

Both my common sense and that new voice inside my head were urging me to tone down the deaths a little, but like I said, this new power was just too addicting- I felt like a _goddess._

All this in just one week, and then _Evan_ happened.

You know that I mentioned Joey's death? How there were like 5 people that were probably responsible for that, one of them the Augur Octavian? Well, another one of those suspects is Evan Turner, legacy of Mars. He's basically... a not very nice person- he didn't want to make peace between camps (_Graceus are not to be trusted! The mechanic attacked us!_) luckily Reyna put a stop to his pegasi-shit.

People had seen me carrying the iPad around, of course, but nobody seemed to care- as soon as they saw the omega letter they assumed it must not be a regular iPad and so allowed inside camp. Still I tried to keep it out of Percy and Chiron's sight, just in case Frank or Hazel had told Percy about it or Chiron recognized it somehow. After the war against the giants and defeating of Gaea, Zeus let Dionysus return to Olympus since he helped defeat a giant with the help of a demigod because that's the only way the giants could be defeated. So Chiron was in charge, and in the Roman camp I really don't think Reyna or Jason (who was once again praetor but was still dating Piper) knew about it.

So far so good, and Thanatos still hadn't visited which was both a relief and nerve-wrecking. Did he approve of what I was doing? Probably not, but like he said- this power was mine now and the gods hadn't sent angry lightning after me so I didn't know how they felt about it.

My cabin had been in charge of building the room where the portal that connects with Camp Jupiter is, a simple white structure with marble columns that just had space for two bronze posts with torches and then the two rectangular portals, and for some reason the Carter character had us bring over a sort of Egyptian-like obelisk, he didn't say what for just that it was necessary for the portals to work. There were set times to use these, since they require a twelve hour cooldown before either the portal of origin or destination can be used again. One is to go to Camp Jupiter, the other is where the Roman visitors arrive. If you can't wait the twelve hours you can just take a Pegasi but it's such a long journey to San Francisco almost nobody does it.

It's easier to travel from Camp Half-Blood to Camp Jupiter, the rules aren't as strict, but the annoying thing is from the Roman camp you have to get past the god Terminus, and that's a real pain in the butt. I didn't dare take the iPad to Camp Jupiter, because Terminus would surely raise the alarm the second it was near him.

Anyway by the time I arrived to the portal station, there was already a line of people waiting to cross. Some were Greek, some were Romans going back home- all the same, we were all waiting for the portal to turn sandy-colored.

Right now the swirling vortex was black, so it was still cooling down from its last travel. The other one, though, the one used to bring Romans over was already sand-colored, and every few seconds people stepped out of it, looking dizzy or laughing or both. After writing down their names and the intention of their visit or if they were just coming back home they went about their business, we had to keep track of who was using the portal. See, that's much simpler than having a nagging bust of a god questioning your every move.

"How much longer?" Adrian muttered next to me.

Apparently Adrian and I were Chiron's errand-people now because he'd just handed us a box of strawberries to "apologize to Reyna about her dog," because a couple of days ago the Praetor had visited us here in the Greek side, and one of Leo's assistant-machine thingies went haywire and smashed in one of her metal dogs' snouts. Leo fixed it immediately, mumbling and apologizing and blushing a lot but Chiron was afraid we'd got on the praetor's bad side so we were gifting her strawberries, it was a well-known fact the Roman praetor had a sweet tooth.

"Not too long, I hope," I said watching as a bunch of Romans spilled out of the other working portal, "let's just drop this off to Reyna quickly and get back to the portal before it stops working- I kind of don't want to spend the night over there."

Adrian nodded, "yeah, with all those Lares ghosts around? They're so scary..." For some reason, the Romans terrified Adrian, he didn't trust them at all.

There was a collective whoop and cries of joy when the portal we were waiting on stopped spinning black and turned sandy-colored, so it was good to go. One by one they stepped into the portal and disappeared, and I had to give Adrian a little push since he dug his heels into the dirt when it was our turn, mumbling some excuse about having to feed the pegasi.

Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, could do something called Shadow Travel which was like these portals but doing it fatigued him, and he said the sensation wasn't very pleasant- this was seconded by Percy Jackson who said it felt like your face was being peeled off.

The portal was much more comfortable, just a few seconds of swirly darkness and you stepped out in the other side of the country. The fresh smell of New Rome's bakery is the first thing I register when I reopen my eyes. I drag Adrian away from the portal as more people step in, but we're immediately stopped from walking much further by a stern voice.

"Stop! Stop! Security check!"

We literally were like 4 steps from stepping into New Rome when Terminus' sharp voice stopped us. I swallowed down y annoyance and walked over to the statue of the god, that went from the waist up and didn't have any arms. 3 or so other statues of himself were grilling other campers that had just arrived about their possessions.

"Natalia Ganem, daughter of Athena. Adrian Chavez, son of Hermes, state your business!"

"Um, this," Adrian said, offering the box of strawberries a little too close to Terminus' head. The god made a panicky noise and tilted his head away, "too close!"

"These are for Reyna, you know, her greyhound's snout was smashed in and all," I said, grabbing Adrian's sleeve and lowering his arm so the box wasn't near Terminus. "we wanna apologize."

"I don't see how some sugary fruit will fix the damage," Terminus sniffed, turning his marble face back to face us, "how long will you be staying?"

"Just to drop this off," I promised, "then, if the portal for Camp Half-Blood's still working we'll be on our way."

"Very well, you have about 20 minutes before the portal closes," Terminus said, glancing down at his invisible arm with his invisible watch.

He turned his attention to a group of satyrs that had just stepped out of the portal. "Let's hurry if we don't want to spend the night," I muttered, grabbing Adrian again and walking us to the main plaza and then taking a more secluded path to look around for the praetor. They had a nice camp, I'll give them that, the little shops that lined the via principal were so nice compared to the only camp store that we had, here it was all sparkling fountains and lots of people- old and young.

_"MIERDA!"_

Completely stunned, I swiveled around, just to find Adrian was not next to me anymore but face down in the ground a few feet away. Instead, next to me, was a bronze chariot with two boys laughing their asses off.

"Did you see him fly?" Evan Turner, holding the reigns to the chariot (one of those upgraded chariots that didn't need unicorns or pegasi to work) was wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

Adrian moaned in pain and rolled over onto his back, his chest was tainted red.

* * *

**A/N: whoa longer chapter than usual :P hope it's not too confusing**


	6. Chapter 6

**dude it's been a while sorry about the lack of updates**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

At first all I could do was stare in horror at the big splotch of red on Adrian's front. There were chunks of... oh, thank Zeus, it wasn't chunks of flesh or anything- just the strawberries. He'd crushed the whole box with his body, but his face was all cut open from landing on the hard pavement.

"Why in Hades are you laughing, you shit?" I turned to glare at Evan and his buddy, who were grinning like idiots, "you just ran over someone for no reason!"

"Uh, for no reason? 'course there's a reason!" Evan's eyes reminded me of a basilisk's, and I've faced those before, they are a lot less scary than this maniac, "he's a useless Greek, seen his ugly face around enough to know he's afraid of the _big bad Romans_!"

"Yeah he's afraid if he hangs long enough around the likes of you, some of the stupid may rub off on him," I jogged over to Adrian, Evan and I never broke eye contact, until I had to look down at Adrian's face. He looked dazed, a cut above his eyebrow bleeding profusely, "Adrian?" I pressed my hand against the wound and he groaned.

"Weak like the blue-haired fellow," Evan's companion muttered.

When he said that, it felt like _I_ was the one that was ran over by the chariot and not Adrian. I felt my muscles tighten and I forced myself to look at the two idiots on the chariot, "blue... blue haired? _Do you mean __**Joey**_?"

Joey, my friend that had died during the Roman attack on Camp Half-Blood, had dyed his hair many colors other than his natural brown- I'd been there on the many occasions when he bleached it and colored it, red, green- when he died, it had been blue.

"Is that what the fool was called?" again it was Evan's friend doing the talking, and with the stupid smile he gave me I wished I could just jump up there and strangle him.

"Nothing, shut up, Jamal," Evan nudged his friend's arm, shifting his eyes to me with a new nervous look, "he don't mean anything by that."

The feeling of _rage_ I'd been feeling more and more everyday settled on me again. That ugly feeling when I'd decided to kill Pablo Ruiz returned. I clenched my hands into a fists to stop them from shaking, "You killed Joey."

Eva's jaw tightened, looking left and right to see if anyone was near, which they were not, "you're full of unicorn-crap, Ganem. I suggest you shut up before I-"

"Before you what?" I challenged, my voice miraculously not shaking like the rest of my body was, "before you put a spear through my chest?" I pointed with my bloodied hand from Arian's wound to the area where Joey had been stabbed.

Jamal snarled, and Evan's grip tightened on the reins, like he was thinking about running me over as well, which he probably was. Luckily, a ghostly Lares with a blue aura floated by and waved at the two legionaries in front of me.

"Good Jupiter! What happened?" the ghostly form said as he saw Adrian half-conscious on the ground, "is he alright?"

"He'll be fine," I said with a tight smile, "we were just leaving," I looked at Evan and Jamal, maintaining the painful smile, "mind helping me carry him to the portal, guys?"

"No problem," Evan replied, with an equally forced smile.

"Let me accompany you," the Lares said, "this was an unfortunate accident, was it not?"

The two older boys stepped off the chariot and picked up Adrian, placing him none-too gently on their chariot.

"Yep, though I think they may be visually challenged, we were in plain view." I got on the chariot as well, and Evan gave the reigns an extra hard pull to slam his elbow against my ribs. I grit my teeth to not cry out, "have you considered glasses, Evan?"

"We'll be more careful next time," the legacy of Mars promised, as the Lares hovered nearby and looked at Adrian worriedly, "never again will this happen."

"You can certainly count on that," I muttered under my breath, casting a worried look at Adrian, who still looked in bad shape but my pathetic pressure on the wound seemed to have helped a little, and we made our way back to the portals.

"I guess now it'll be Reyna sending over some strawberries," I was still pissed about the events of last night. Adrian was out of the infirmary, but he needed to rest so I was left with my other friend, Marina, daughter of Nike.

"Yeah Chiron will make them apologize, don't worry Nat," Marina said.

And I couldn't get out of my head Evan and Jamal's words, it was practically a confession.

_Weak like the blue-haired fellow_

_Is that what the fool was called?_

The more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself. But what could I do? I had no evidence, it was my word against theirs.

_Kill them, _the voice said nonchalantly in my head, like it had been doing relentlessly for hours. _If they could kill you, they would- just like they did Joey. _

"But I don't know that!" I said out loud, and my outburst caught Marina's attention who had been molding a little clay figure in our arts and crafts class, it was shaped like a deformed unicorn.

"You don't know what? That they'll apologize? They will! They have to," Marina stuck the unicorn's oversized horn in the middle of its forehead, "those guys are jerks."

I sighed, not feeling like telling her about them and Joey. How could I be sure? How could I know if it was Jamal or Evan- or both? Were there others involved?

_Punish both, _the voice urged. It was so tempting I almost wanted to just jump out of my stool, fetch the iPad and do the deed. Instead I resigned myself to finish the owl sculpture I was going to give my mother as an offering later.

"So Adrian's okay?" Marina asked, "I haven't seen him since they brought him in."

"Mhm, he's alright, just swore he won't set foot on Roman soil again."

"What'd the Romans say?"

I shrugged, trying to add the beak to my sculpture and failing, "that it was a honest mistake, that it was dark, that they didn't see us walking..." I couldn't control my fist as it slammed down on my wax owl, flattening it. I was just so angry all the time now, I didn't know how to stop. And all of this since I found that stupid freaking iPad.

"Nat... you ok?"

"I'm fine," my smile was so fake Marina saw right through it but she didn't say anything, "I... I'm going to- my cabin. I- stuff to do," I muttered, not giving her time to reply and jumping out of my seat, leaving a sad lump of wax that used to be an owl behind.

**NAME: EVAN TURNER**

**CAUSE OF DEATH: RAN OVER BY MOTORIZED CHARIOT ON 1/11/13**

The smile on my face trembled until the corners turned down and my jaw was clenched so hard it hurt. As far as I knew, only one person had a motorized chariot in all of new Rome- and that was Jamal.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

Eris herself would have been overfilled with joy from all the chaos that followed that October first.

Now I didn't know if it was going to be Jamal riding the chariot-although I hoped with all my heart that it was- since I didn't know his last name I didn't specify who would be driving or if the chariot would just go haywire and kill Evan. But, as it turns out, it _was_ Jamal who ended Evan Turner's life that October first.

My will of not killing had crumbled yet again, but this time I'd set up a date for the death- because everyone could pretty much tell I was infuriated with those two I'd be very suspicious so I let Adrian's situation die down for a bit and keep a clean alibi away from the Roman camp- and it was perfect, there was absolutely no way anyone could blame me for anything since I hadn't been back to camp Jupiter since the "accident."

What woke me up was the crazy screaming and commotion outside my cabin. I was the first out the door of the Athena cabin, still in my pajamas- but hey, so was everyone else when I came outside. The commotion was from somewhere in the woods- apparently, Jamal had freaked and jumped into the portal after murdering Evan, coming to Camp Half-Blood, but he got lost in the woods and by then Jason and Reyna had already sent giant eagles and warriors after him, so he was arrested in no time and was currently awaiting a trial with the senators.

I saw his tear-streaked face as he was dragged out of the woods by two buff centurions, crying and mumbling about "not being guilty, not meaning to" and so on and so forth.

And then some shady things came to light, too- how there had been another murder attempt in Camp Jupiter months before, but the Doors of Death had still been open so the camper that was killed came back immediately- not Evan, though, some Gwen girl.

I wonder what the senators would decide. In the old days of ancient Rome the Romans did some very nasty things to murderers- had they changed their ways? It was a bunch of teenagers, so that was probably the case. And, anyway, whatever they decided for Jamal- it didn't matter, as I'd be taking care of him after I got what I wanted from him- knowing the rest of the people involved in Joey's murder.

But the annoying thing was- I still didn't know Jamal's last name, even though he'd gotten quite famous his second name never seemed to come up- though I did find out he's a son of Vulcan, and I don't know what to make of that.

Later, you could actually feel the tension in the air when I arrived at the dining pavilion. The visitor's table for the Romans was empty, they were probably busy in new Rome with the recent murder. All morning I had to resist the urge to smile, but it became harder and harder to keep the smile away- but their confusion amused me fat too much.

Earlier in the morning, Emily, the half-sister I share a bunk bed with was watching some episode of Teen Wolf and I overheard this line:

"_You don't have to be psychotic to be a killer. You just... need a reason_."

Or the quote went something like that, either way it clicked right with me. I had plenty of reason to do what I was doing. I wasn't harming anyone innocent- it was people who deserved it. But I'd crossed a line- I'd killed a legacy of the gods. I wonder if Mars was going to care. Or if Vulcan would care, once I dealt with Jamal.

Thanatos had assured me they probably wouldn't, but who knows? For example, it was one thing to kill me but it was a completely different thing to kill Annabeth Chase- Athena would probably throw a fit if her precious architect from Olympus got killed- but what did she care if a daughter like _me_ got killed. So I was going to have to be careful with my victims, Jamal was already risky since I don't know about his relationship with Vulcan.

I walked over to the Athena table and sat down next to Emily, who was staring at me in confusion.

"What?" I finally snapped, when her staring got too intense.

"Um- you- Nat? Didn't someone tell you?" she mumbled, two years older than me but she was very shy.

"Tell me what?"

"Like, when I finished the episode of- of whatever, you were gone, so I suppose not..." I waited patiently for her to gather her nerve, "but you had to be in New Rome, for... like, questioning."

"Questioning? For what?!" my voice came out squeakier than ever. The few people left on the table were now paying close attention to our conversation. A wood nymph brought me over a plate with waffles and a goblet, which I filled with orange juice and I added a generous amount of syrup to the waffles, which I started to eat.

Emily looked very uncomfortable and she kept glancing away from my hard gaze, gods what was wrong with her. "the Romans sent for you."

I almost choked on my food, one of my half-brothers had to give me a hard thumps on the back to stop me from dying, "what- _why?!_"

She shrugged, "they didn't say- just that Jason Grace wants to talk to you."

"_Question_ me, you said... besides, I haven't been to New Rome in weeks, I-"

The brother that had saved me from choking interrupted, "then you have nothing to worry about! I'm sure it's not even about that Jamal guy- though it's pretty wicked what he did!" his gray eyes widened, "ran over his own friend- and killed him!"

At least it was Jason who wanted to question me, if it were Reyna, with those truth-telling dogs of hers... gods. Was I too careless, was there something I missed?

_You did perfectly, _the voice inside my head assured me, _but you did have a problem with the deceased and his friend weeks ago. Do not fear, child, they are just ruling out all possibilities._

The voice had this quality of saying things I wanted and needed to hear, so immediately I felt calmer, better. I nodded at my siblings, "yeah, you know I had a problem with him last week- when he ran over Adrian."

"Oh, yeah, what an asshole!" and that got them talking about all the unpleasant things the Romans did, so I mentally praised the voice and finished my breakfast, since I apparently needed to make a trip to New Rome now.

_They know nothing, _I decided, waving my siblings goodbye and heading to the portal to get to New Rome.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry about the delay, I'm kind of trying to make things clear, but I introduce too many characters too quickly i think? anyway enjoy**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

"You okay, Natalia? You look kinda pale," Jason Grace, son of Jupiter raised a slightly darker eyebrow than the spiky blonde hair on his head.

"I'm fine, thanks," I lied through my teeth, gripping the armrest a little harder than necessary. He was interrogating me privately, another boy had just left when I had arrived, and he'd been crying.

"It's okay," he smiled, the little scar above his lip curling into a crescent, "don't be scared- we're just checking on the last people Evan might have had, um, a problem with in the last few months-"

"Why?"

"Jamal- he's convinced he didn't do it, that he was like possessed or something? So we promised we'd look into it," Jason shrugged, "it happens. Happened to myself, happened to Leo Valdez- even Percy Jackson! So we're not discarding that possibility just yet."

"Something like Eidolons?" everyone had heard the story of their big quest a million times, how it had actually been Eidolons that made Leo attack Camp Jupiter and how Percy and Jason almost killed each other because of them.

"Not quite... see, there was a witness, they saw Jamal get on that chariot and go straight for Evan. But- his eyes weren't gold. In my experience, your eyes turn gold when possessed by Eidolons. That' s what our witness said, anyway."

"Did they see anything else?" I asked, biting my thumbnail, the stupid habit I still hadn't dropped. "who's this witness?"

"I'm afraid they asked me not to say their name. They... um," the praetor shifted uncomfortably in his chair and he sighed, running a hand in frustration through his blonde spikes, "this witness- daughter of Apollo? She's gifted with prophecy, she says... there's going to be more deaths," Jason's voice reached a whisper, "including her. So she's terrified, she won't say much."

I felt a dark turmoil in my stomach, and this time it wasn't an angry feeling that settled over me like previous times- it felt different, more like calm determination.

"I see. Well, you got questions for me?" I managed to smile.

Jason nodded, "yes- Jamal says you had problems with Evan even before the chariot incident-which I'm very sorry for by the way- could you elaborate?"

I shrugged, "like what?"

"Um, your relationship with him, I guess. How did you two meet?"

"He shot my friend Marina with a paintball gun shortly after Gaea was defeated- like, at the party, here in New Rome. So we started to fight-"

"Oh... oh, wait, Jupiter! You were the knife lady?" Jason's sky-blue eyes were wide with realization.

"Mhm, I threw a couple knifes at him... don't give me that look, it was just a little cut above his eyebrow! and, besides, ever since then... he is- I mean, was a bully. You heard of what he did to Adrian."

"I agree. But he didn't deserve to die, not the way he did..." Jason sighed and his face turned sad, "many people don't deserve the deaths they get."

He wasn't talking about Evan anymore, I realized, he was thinking about Frank and Hazel. I would never dare voice this out loud, but... Hazel had been dead. For, what? 70 years? Nobody here knew she existed until Nico brought her back. And Frank had barely been part of the legion, but still- he was much too powerful for his own good, sooner or later the gods would get scared and kill him.

"What about you, Nat- if I may call you that..." I nodded, "do you think Evan deserved what he got?"

"Ah, I don't know, maybe. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't... we may never know whatever Evan did to deserve this. Only the fates will know."

Jason gave me a funny look and cocked his head, his lips pressing together and making that little scar curl in a weird way. Finally, he shrugged, "okay, fair enough... I guess that's all. We'll send for you if anything comes up... Jamal's trial is coming soon."

That look he gave me, I didn't like it but there was nothing else I could do, so I just bid him farewell and decided: I had to drag out the truth from Jamal as soon as possible- and deal with that stupid witness too.

**JASON'S POV**

"Well? Any luck?" Reyna asked, walking in, her two metal dogs at her side like always.

I folded my arms in front of my chest and leaned back on the chair. Reyna sat down where that daughter of Athena had been only minutes ago.

"She's hiding something, but it's just a feeling I have. I mean, from what I can tell, she deeply disliked Evan... but, to a point where she'd kill him?" I shook my head, "besides, she's no charmspeaker or anything that could make Jamal do that."

"But if she had a motive..." Reyna placed a hand on Argentum's silver head and rubbed the metal, "our witness said there was a good shot that Natalia had something to do with it."

"All Evan did was shoot her friend with paint and run over that one Adrian dude... unless... unless Evan did something else to piss her off. Something we're not aware of?"

Reyna's dark eyes locked on mine, "Evan was a suspect for... for that son of Nemesis that died, Joe... Joey!" Aurum, the gold hound barked, a metallic sound of alarm. She jumped to her feet and began to pace, "did he have any relationship to Natalia? was she aware that Evan was a suspect?"

"I don't know- I didn't ask," I stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from walking around, "even if she did, even then- _how_ could she control Jamal, or let alone talk him into killing his own friend?"

Reyna sat back down on the chair and pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closed, "Daphne is the only witness that we have- and she also claims she had a vision...and since she has the gift of prophecy, it's not something we can ignore after she pointed her finger at Natalia."

"Rey..." I sighed, going back to my own chair across from her, "Daphne's been a little unstable ever since, you know, fighting that giant... she's gotten prophecies confused a couple of times," I said gently, "and now she's claiming that she's going to die along with others, that Evan was only the first..." I shrugged, "it's all nuts! according to Terminus, last time Natalia was here was with the strawberry incident, she did not see or speak to Evan or Jamal or even Daphne-"

Reyna looked up, paused, and stood up, "you're right, she is very unlikely to have anything to do with this, but..." she squared her shoulders and looked at me with a fierce face, "we are going to provide Daphne with special protection. We can tell her once and for all that she's not going to die, that she's safe."

"_Rey_," I tried again, "you cannot go against prophecies. Remember what happened to Oedipus? _He ripped his eyes off_," I made poking gestures at my eyes, trying to get her to understand how this was all just messed up and crazy and I did not want to deal with this after everything that had happened with Gaea.

"Yes, I know, he married his mother and killed his father...but this is different! If we can assure that Daphne stays away from Natalia, then... well, then her prophecy won't come true concerning the others that are supposed to die, if we can avoid her death..." Reyna was just rambling now, assuring herself of things and talking to her dogs for the most part, as I'd stopped listening.

I shut my eyes, the dull ache in my heart returning as the ancient words that had ruined everything came in the back of my mind;

_**seven half-bloods shall answer the call**_

_**to storm or fire, the world must fall.**_

_**an oath to keep with a final breath**_

_**and foes bear arms to the Doors of Death**_

"Prophecies always come true. Word for word," my voice was unexpectedly cold as I snapped my eyes open, "they don't spare anyone."


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

Finding Jamal was the easy part. The hard part was talking to the guard outside his door.

"And you are?"

"I told you, I just came from a meeting with Jason."

"So?" the guard looked exhausted and irritated.

"He told me Jamal's trial is coming soon, so... I wanna talk to him."

"What for?" he snapped, "he's a murderer, why would you want to-"

"- if he's sentenced to death, when will I have time to confess my love for him?"

The guard looked as surprised as I felt. That was unexpected improvisation, but I had to roll with it now.

"Seriously? _You_ like Bolt?"

"Bolt?"

"Jamal Bolt," he laughed, his eyes had lit up with amusement, "you know, you're far too pretty for a weasel like him- weasel, _and_ murderer!"

_His last name is Bolt, his last name is Bolt,_ the voice said gleefully in my head. Now all I needed was a confession and Jamal Bolt was good to go from this earth.

"I have a thing for cowardly murderers," I managed to say with a straight face.

The guard shifted nervously, gripping his spear tighter. He sighed, "I'm not supposed to let anyone-"

"I really wanna tell him how I feel," my voice was pleading, "and if you boil him alive or whatever Romans do with killers-"

"Whoa! We don't boil-"

"- then I'll never get a chance to tell him how I feel!" I pouted and the guard was either tired or bought my story, either way he sighed and stepped aside from the holding cell where they were keeping Jamal.

"You've got less than 5 minutes- so make 'em count!" he unlocked the door.

"Thanks!" I smiled briefly before stepping inside, the smile replaced by an ugly scowl.

"Holy Juno what in Pluto's name are _you_ doing here?!" Jamal's eyes were wild, his hair was disheveled and his hands were shaking uncontrollably from what I could see.

The cell only had a concrete bed and a toilet, the room's only light was a torch on the wall. I shut the door behind me and smiled, "didn't expect to see me, huh?"

"Absolutely no," Jamal spat, poking his finger through a hole in the blanket he was sitting on, "Daphne said it was you," his voice was suddenly shaky, "that you had something to do with Evan-" his voice broke at the name.

"Daphne? Interesting," I raised my eyebrow, and I couldn't help but smirk, "that's the witness? The daughter of Apollo?"

Jamal opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before deciding to shut it and look away, at the ratty blanket.

"Come on, Jamal." I sat cross-legged on the floor across from him, resting my chin in both my hands, "they are going to be discussing what to do with you in a couple of hours, you know? Jason sent for me," I lowered my voice, "asked me about our little fight the other day. About Joey."

He reacted how I expected, eyes wide and hands shaking even more than before. Now his lips were also trembling. "No- why... why- how... Jason doesn't- doesn't know..."

I tiled my head, "oh, but he does. Double murder? You know what the Romans did in the old days with murderers, Jamal?"

He shuddered violently, and I was a little surprised by the ever-present smile on my face. I was enjoying myself far too much- _why? _ I'd never enjoyed tormenting others before. What was happening...

"Joey wasn't... entirely my fault, you dumb Greeks and your... oh, with that damn blue hair," he was muttering to himself now, but as far as I was concerned, that was a confession alright.

"Care to mention whose fault it really was, Jamal? You'll probably get death penalty anyway," I said, "an eye for an eye..."

Jamal stiffened and narrowed his eyes at me, "what do you care? Blue hair's dead, Evan's... Evan's dead too... I'm gonna be dead... but, oh gods forbid if Octavian's dead anytime soon!"

I felt my jaw drop open. I did not expect that. "Wait- Octavian- he killed...?"

"Him, Evan, Christy and me, yeah," he held up his fingers as he counted off names, "we're all responsible."

"Why are you suddenly admitting this?"

"Like you said... I'm dead anyway," Jamal sighed and slumped back against the wall, his eyes closed. But that was the end of it. Behind me, the door clicked open and the guard peeked his head in, "you done here?"

"He doesn't like me back," I said simply, jumping to my feet and giving the guard a quick pat on the shoulder, "it's okay, though, I don't think I like him very much either."

The chocolate croissant is the most flawless thing I've ever come across in the New Rome bakery.

After that little episode with Jamal, I had all day to kill until the next portal back home, so I bought myself some hot chocolate and a croissant and considered my options, sitting outside the coffee shop by myself. Besides, if Reyna or Jason were to walk past I'd look very innocent and not plotting the deaths of a few of their legionnaires.

So I had 4 problems right now:

Jamal

The witness /prophet

Christy

Octavian

Jamal Bolt I can take care of as soon as I get back to my cabin, so that's one less. I don't know this "Christy" person, but asking around I'm sure I'll find them, now that I know they took part in killing Joey they're as good as dead. Now, the witness Jason mentioned, who has the gift of prophecy...

I run my tongue over my teeth, my eyes fixed on the sparkling fountain in front of me, where two young kids are playing tag, and who I assume is their parents holding hands, are watching them in the table beside me enjoying their own cup of something.

I remember quickly, Jason let slip the following: it's a girl, and she's a daughter of Apollo. That narrows down things. How many children of Apollo have the gift of prophecy in the Roman side? I don't know, but I'll find out... then again, there's also this _Daphne_ person Jamal mentioned. I'm going to have to look into that.

The tricky thing will be Octavian. He's a scumbag, but a very influential scumbag. He talked the Romans into going to war against Camp Half-Blood and almost became praetor. When it all comes down to it, Joey's death is entirely his fault.

_Think this through, _the voice urged inside my head, _the praetors are scared- use that to your advantage._

I frowned. What was the voice implying?

_Christy first, _the voice said, _then the Daphne witness._

My frown deepens, and I think back to the voice, _that's not how my priorities go._

_It's how they should be. _I can almost picture the nonchalant shrug. I can't tell if the voice is male or female, young or old- all I know is when it says something, I listen.

"What's with the scowl?"

I snap to attention and my grip tightens around my hot chocolate -which is mostly cold now- and I glance up at a stocky girl with short blonde hair and freckles, raising her eyebrows at me.

"I- thinking," I managed, narrowing my eyes and taking a sip of my cold chocolate as the girl laughs. Without invitation, she sits down in front of me.

"So. I heard you visited Jamal," she begins, and I nod, darting my eyes away and focusing on my chocolate.

"Why?"

I shrug, and look to where the two kids had been playing tag- they're gone now. I look back at the girl, "Jason asked me a couple things about him, you know, about Evan and all that."

I watch her carefully, she squeezes her eyes shut and then opens them, blinking hard. Hm, so that touches a nerve. Was she friends with Evan?

"Who are you?" I ask, finishing up my chocolate and successfully landing the empty cup on the trashcan, and that makes me smile for real the first time today in a way that doesn't involve mocking Jamal.

"Christina," she replies, and I'm pretty sure if I'd still had my chocolate I would have choked on it.

_So I had found Christy._


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

"Gods, what in Pluto?! Why are you making that face?"

Immediately I make my face go back to neutral, "what?"

"You went all, like," Christy made this evil sort of face with a wicked smile, which was maybe a 2/10 compared to what my face had probably looked like. But this was just perfect. The fates were definitely in my favor, first with Jamal's and Jason's slip with the Daphne a.k.a the witness, and now the Christy involved with Joey's murder just plops down in front of me.

"Sorry, it's just that- in my mortal school, I've got a friend named Christina Crumplebottom," I lie quickly. I was becoming really smooth with all the lies, "so maybe you have a funny second name too?"

"I don't," she says dryly. Ugh, it was worth a try. Getting her full name may be a little tougher.

"So... what else?" I asked her.

"What else? My best friend's dead! My other best friend killed him, I-" her voice cracked, but she still managed to look me dead in the eye with a fierce green stare similar to mine in color but my eyes have specks of brown in them, "I've been talking to the people Jason and Reyna call in."

"Interviews of your own?"

She clenched her fists and looked away from my gaze, "Yes. They are useless- well, Jason is! We were fine without him-" _with Octavian about to take over, _I mentally finish for her. She realizes who she's talking to and hastily changes the subject, "look, I don't know how much they told you, or how much you know, but," Christy sighs, "it's been foretold there will be more deaths, and that some child of Minerva- I mean, _Athena_, may have something to do with it."

I mull this over for a moment before leaning back on the chair and folding my arms, "All I know is what Jason told me, that this witness says there will be more deaths... including hers?"

_I'm going to make sure of that_, I think to myself, _but it's a shame she got a head's up. _A little smile I quickly hide forms on my lips.

"Yes... among others," Christy deadpans.

"You're scared it could be you?"

Her silence is answer enough.

"Evan was the first according to the witness," Christy says, her face now flushed, "but... she's given false prophecies before. She fought one of the giants, and her head," she taps the side of her temple, "something happened up here."

On the outside I have a serious, thoughtful expression... but in my head I'm singing! This could not be more perfect! That narrows down things nicely, I may not even have to look around for more info. Daphne, daughter of Apollo, fought a giant? Well, there can only be one of her! And since just a handful of people actually fought giants, finding her will be cake now. AND she's kind of insane, this is so easy. I cross off Daphne the witness from the list in my head... now, Christy.

"Okay, so what you're saying is, you think I may have something to do with Evan's death?"

"The prophet said _child of Athena_," her snide little tone annoys me but I don't let it show.

"Well, I've got news for you! There's a cabin full at Camp Half-Blood!"

"Yes, but you've had problems with Evan in the past-"

"I wasn't the one driving the chariot, now, was I?"

Christy slams down her palm on the table, her nostrils flaring, "I know! I just want to _understand why_ Jamal w-would do that! To Evan! _His best friend_!" she drops her head on her hands.

"Uh, maybe it's not a child of Athena? Maybe it's Athena herself?" I pressed, "like, maybe she's punishing you for something you did?" the lying definitely came naturally for me now.

Christy looks up, her eyes brimming with tears, but they aren't angry like I expected- more like _scared_. "But... but Evan didn't... he never did anything..."

I shrug like I don't care, but my eyes are hard, "really? Think back maybe?"

Her face remains the same, and then, slowly, it dawns on her. She doesn't say anything to me, of course- but the look on her face is just as good as Jamal's confession earlier. Her eyes are wide with horror, wide like her open mouth.

"What... why... why would Athena even-?" she jumps up from her seat, body shaking, "I gotta go- uh- uh-" she runs away.

Once she's out of earshot, the most disturbing, evil chuckle escapes my mouth. The dark feeling settles over me again but this time it's actually kind of happy, even a little peaceful. Sure, I didn't get her last name- that will come in time. For now, she's out of my way. And so will Jamal very soon, and, eventually, Daphne.

ΩΩΩ

Back in my cabin I grab the iPad from under my mattress- I should really get an enchanted case or something to hide it better- but then again, the more innocent it looks the better. After killing most of my day in New Rome, I came back and told whoever asked a little about the questioning, but just enough so I seemed confused and scared as everyone else.

I got the iPad and headed down to the campfire with Adrian, who was now very well, and Marina, to the sing-along with the Apollo cabin. After a couple of s'mores and singing (and making sure plenty of people saw me hanging out, even Chiron) I took out the iPad and opened up the most powerful app in the world.

**NAME**

**CAUSE OF DEATH**

The orange glow of the firelight of the campfire illuminated my grinning face, and I looked up, at all the laughing faces stuffed with marshmallows and strawberries- across from me, Chiron caught my eye, standing tall in his white centaur form he smiled at me- and I smiled back. I focused back on the task at hand.

**NAME: Jamal Bolt**

The flat nose and disheveled brown hair pops up in my mind easily, the gap between his front teeth, the thin eyebrows- _Jamal_.

_Heart attack it is, _I think to myself almost giddily, and begin the 40-second countdown in my head. Adrian leans over my shoulder to see what I'm doing but I quickly shut off the screen.

"Hey- why were you laughing? Was it a funny picture?"

"_Yes_." I stand up, "hey- is it possible to see Camp Jupiter from Leo's thingamabob on the Argo II?"

After the battle the Argo II was beyond wrecked, but of course Leo was not about to let his Festus die a second- or was it third- time, so he completely rebuilt it and not it's just kind of a living museum of the battle against Gaea. There was a thing were you could see the view of Camp Half-Blood, and I was hoping Leo had upgraded it or something so it showed live feed on Camp Jupiter.

"Nah, I don't think so, only here," Adrian shivers, even if it's not cold, "why would you ever wanna see that place?"

"No reason, I-" I sigh and sit back down on the log next to him, "nothing, just... pass me the s'mores?"

ΩΩΩ

I leave the camp early, wondering what's happening over in the Roman side. Did it work? Was there so much panic and confusion that they hadn't alerted us?

_Send an Iris message to Jamal, _the voice inside my head orders, _if it doesn't work, that means he's dead._

_Yeah, with what rainbow? _I shot back, _I can't just make one out of moonlight- or ask an Iris kid, they'd ask who I was going to call... the fountain in the Poseidon Cabin! Could that work?!_

I quickly discard the idea. Percy had a cabin practically all to himself and a girlfriend that could turn invisible, what if I walked in and-

I shake the thought out of my head and decide to see if the app of escaped souls from the Underworld can tell me recent souls that have gone _in_ the Underworld- most likely not, but it was worth trying.

* * *

**Huh, this one's a little short, but the next one's **_**really**_** good, well, I kind of liked it. review please **(◡‿◡✿)


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

_Why is he not dead, why is he not dead, WHY IN HADES IS HE NOT DEAD._

I'm furious after figuring out that, yes, you can check in the escaped souls app the recent, um, deceased, and that, no, Jamal Bolt was not among them. I'm probably more angry that I should be- it's a horrible mix of anger and disappointment- and maybe even a little fear- as to why. Jamal. Is. Not. DEAD. I'm alone in the cabin, as I usually was most of the time nowadays- by now some of my siblings had gone off to the mortal world for school or were still at the sing-along.

Did I misspell the name? No, I'm very sure I spelled it right, and I pictured his ugly face too...

_That's it, I'm going there and I'm going to check for myself- _

_Hold it! I was afraid of this... _the voice murmurs inside my head, halting all my escalating thoughts, _do not worry. You were given a fake name, most likely._

I calm down enough to remember my conversation with the guard outside Jamal's cell.

"_"__**Seriously? You like Bolt?"**_

_**"Bolt?"**_

_**"Jamal Bolt**__,""_

His immediate reaction was calling Jamal "_Bolt_". So Bolt was probably a nickname... Zeus damn it all! Jamal's also a son of Vulcan, so the nickname 'Bolt'...? My head's pounding and I lay down on my bunk, trying to just zone out from all my speeding thoughts and come up with a plan...

"Having a little difficulty, child?"

I sit up so fast my head slams against the bunk above, making my headache 1000x times worse and causing me to collapse back down, groaning and cursing all creation.

A low chuckle makes me open my eyes just to see Death himself with an amused expression.

"You've got to stop doing that," I groan, slowly, painfully, sitting up and rubbing the top of my head.

"You've kept us quite busy down in the Underworld." Thanatos says, "the Fates are extremely confused with all the random deaths."

"What about the gods? Do they-"

Thanatos' serious face answers my question, and I feel a wave of relief, ok, good, they don't care.

"So to what do I owe the visit?"

"I forgot to offer you, ah, something involving the device, " Thanatos says, and he folds himself down almost effortlessly on the beanbag chair across from me, "you know Erinyes?"

"Deities of vengeance or something," I barely recall some boring lecture Annabeth was giving about them.

Thanatos nods, "well, Natalia, like I said, I've been keeping my _eye _on you," he chuckles like he just made the funniest joke on earth, "and I can tell you're starting to have some difficulties. So. Here is what I offer: I take half of your remaining lifespan- wait, shh! Don't interrupt, hear me out," I shut my mouth before my protests continued to spill out, "I take half your remaining lifespan, and, in return..." he takes a deep breath, "I'll give you some Erinyes Eyes."

Death stares at me as if he were the godfather, like he just made an offer that I can't refuse. I just blink, unimpressed, "so you take half my life for...?"

"Erinyes Eyes," he insists, folding his muscled arms in front of his chest, golden eyes earnest on mine, "if you let me take half your remaining lifespan, I'll give you in return Erinyes Eyes. Now, here's what these do: you will be able to see both the names _and_ lifespans of humans floating above their heads. Of course, you won't be able to see your own lifespan or a god's- but everyone else is fair game."

I stare at the god before me for a moment, not sure if he's joking or completely serious or what- but the voice reassures me; he's for real.

He can probably feel my hesitation and adds, "it'll be real handy, you know. With _Jamal Bolt_ and whatnot," he laughs and I feel my face flush, and his smile widens even more, "you know, I can see your remaining lifespan _right now_. What the fates have decided for you, it's floating, Natalia, right above that head of yours."

"But what if I'm supposed to die in 10 minutes and I take this deal-?"

"Then you'll have 5 minutes to live," Thanatos makes a chopping motion with his hand, "half your remaining lifespan, Natalia. Take the Erinyes Eyes or leave them."

"I... I'm going to have to think about it, Lord Thanatos."

He smiles with very white teeth, and his eyes show slight disappointment but he probably knew that was coming, "I understand. You... have my Skype address there," he points at the iPad, "if you happen to change your mind..."

I nod and close my eyes, and in a flash he's gone, as is my headache.

Half of me wants to take Thanatos up on his offer, and half of me is wildly against it.

The half that wants me to get Erinyes Eyes is heavily influenced by the voice, and the one that doesn't is mostly just my common sense. Is it really worth it? Take one look at a person and know their name and when they will die?

_It's the thing you need. No one will even notice! _

With my headache gone I can focus more clearly and I begin to pace, clasping my hands behind my back. This was a really important decision. I could have 80 years left or I could just have 2 weeks- either way, this was a very high price to pay. My pacing leads me to the door of my cabin, where I stop on my tracks when I hear two voices right outside.

"...massive crush is showing. You ever going to tell her?" Marina's voice.

"What's the point? It's not like she likes me back! Why are we even here? She just wants to be alone nowadays."

The slight Spanish accent... that's Adrian's voice. What...?

"Adrian..."

_Use him, _the voice is suddenly in my mind, urgent, happy. _if he touches the device he will be able to use it too, and he can get the Erinyes Eyes._

_Adrian's my friend, and the fact that he has this sudden crush on me does not mean I will-_

_Sudden? _ I can feel the voice's condescending tone and it annoys me a lot. _you are truly oblivious, then. I've learned so much from you on all the time we have spent together, Natalia._

"Who _are_ you?!" it's not the first time I've tried to demand an answer from the voice out loud. Marina and Adrian's conversation suddenly stops outside, and you can just _feel_ Adrian's nervousness through the door.

"I-It's us," he replies, "you seemed a little off at the campfire..."

"Nat! Are you okay?" Marina's concerned tone, and she knocks on the door. I open it.

"Oh my gods what happened to your-" there's probably a red bump from when Thanatos startled me but I wave my hand dismissively, shaking my head.

"What's up with you two?" I lean against the doorframe, gingerly touching the spot on my head with my fingers.

"I-uh-"

"Adrian wants to talk to you," Marina chirps happily, pushing him forward. Adrian stumbles into the cabin, and glares at her from over his shoulder.

"Good. I want to talk to him too," I smile at my friend, and he straightens up immediately, his face suddenly lit up, he's a couple of inches taller than me.

Marina mouths something to Adrian and he blushes, and all I'm thinking is, _would it be too much to ask from him? Should I tell him? _

_He hates the Romans, _the voice mutters inside my head, _he was a friend of Joey's too, and besides- you killed the man that hurt his mom, that Pablo Ruiz... of course Adrian will help you._

_But his life..._

_Everyone dies eventually-_

"You're making that face again."

"Sorry?" the voice dissolves from my mind, and I have to blink a couple of times to realize I'm looking into Adrian's worried brown eyes, and that we're not alone.

"You've been doing it a lot lately, like... I don't know."

"I- well..." I take a resolving breath "there's a voice inside my head."

_It's out. I'm telling him, and if he doesn't like it I can always get rid of him._

_..._

_Did I just freaking seriously consider that-_

"A voice?" he bites his lip, "like when Kronos used to whisper to Luke-?"

"No! No, nothing like that... actually," I stride over to my mattress and pull out the iPad, "there's something really important that I have to tell you."

**Adrian's POV**

Nat's green eyes are so bright and serious I can't look away. Whatever she's meaning to tell me, it must be really important. Everything Nat does is important, but this time it feels like she's about to tell me her darkest secret. Which maybe she is- she's been carrying that thing around a lot lately, and is really vague when I ask her where she got it. She's been different lately, a little distant.

But she's been there for me from the beginning, we arrived at camp together, we both lost important things to The Mesitas, we're from the same roots... and, besides being beautiful with her dark hair tied up in a high ponytail and cute freckled face, she's deadly smart and tough, defending me back in New Rome when those two jerks-

"_Your massive crush is showing_" Marina's words from earlier come back to me and I feel my face go even redder.

"You can tell me anything," I'm glad she's a bit like her old self now, wanting to share stuff with me again, and that at least for now I don't have to admit what I feel for her even though Marina's peer pressure was starting to work.

"It's... it's secret, like, you can't tell anybody. And maybe you're going to think this is sick and wrong but-"

"Hey, whoa, nothing you'd ever do is ever going to be wrong. Y-you're kind of amazing."

She smiles but the serious look quickly returns to her face, "this is important, Adrian. And I'm trusting you with this. Swear on the river Styx you won't tell."

A River Styx promise? Nat had once told me what happened when you broke one, but right now I didn't remember and I didn't want to ask- asking me to promise on something as serious as the river of the Underworld? My eyes wandered away from her face and to the iPad on her hands, which she was carrying as if it were a slab of gold.

"S-sure, okay. You can trust me."

"Swear." she says firmly, holding out her hand.

"I swear," I take her tiny hand in my big one, "on the River Styx," I add when she raises her eyebrow expectantly. I almost jump when the sound of thunder in the distance reaches my ears.

That look returns on her face, that knowing smile with the bright eyes. Was that voice she mentioned talking to her?

"Let's take a walk," she tucks the pure black iPad under her arm, "we'll need some privacy."

"But the curfew is going to be soon-"

The look she gives me silences me immediately and she disappears out the door.

And I follow.

* * *

***If you've seen/read Death Note you know about the Shinigami Eyes, where if you give up half your remaining lifespan, you can see the names and lifespans of humans floating above their heads, the deal Misa took? Well, that's basically what Erinyes Eyes are. Please review **(◡‿◡✿)


	12. Chapter 12

**sorry about the lack of updates! I had finals and it was insane, but here it is**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

To be honest, it shocked me how _well_ Adrian took the iPad's existence.

At first he didn't quite believe me, and then the fear started to settle on him from what I could see on his face- but when he ran his hand over the iPad's back, his expression changed.

The usually warm brown eyes got a little brighter and colder- was the voice now inside him too? Could he hear it?

And then something that surprised me a lot- he _hugged_ me after I told him about Pablo Ruiz and how I was responsible for getting rid of the Mesitas that had killed my grandfather and injured his mom.

We talked in the shore of the canoe lake, everything was still and silent besides the occasional growling of monsters in the forest or the rush of water, and the only source of light had been the iPad's brightness when I'd been showing it to Adrian, but now the moonlight was pretty much the only way we could see.

I rested my chin against my knees and looked sideways at Adrian, "so. What do you think?"

"I know it's wrong to think this, but..." I can see the white of his teeth in the dark, "I think what you're doing is the right thing. That whole drug cartel? Well deserved. And what you told me about Joey..."

I nodded and looked in front of me at the black water of the lake, "Evan was one of them. Jamal, this Christy girl, and... Octavian."

Adrian says nothing but he doesn't look surprised, either. He just looks thoughtful and mad.

"And then there's this Daphne girl, she's told the Romans a prophecy announcing more deaths- and that I might have something to do with them."

"You're going to get caught?" Adrian grabs my upper arm and makes me look at him, or at least his dark silhouette because it's past curfew and I can't see a thing.

"I mean, they did call me in for questioning, and that Christy girl confronted me- though I told her maybe Athena is punishing them," I smirk, "she believed me, for now."

Adrian exhales heavily through his nose and looks away, "Gods..."

"But you can help me, Adrian."

"How?" he doesn't even hesitate.

"Thanatos, he... asked to make a deal. The perfect thing I need."

"To kill Christy and Jamal and Octavian?"

"And Daphne. I cannot have her spewing out prophecies blaming me."

Adrian nods and says, "I will. I'll help you."

I laugh quietly, "you don't even know what Thanatos is asking. The price is very high. I shouldn't-"

"Whatever it is, I'll do it," he says flatly, "you've helped me in so many ways, Nat. With and without that thing," he points with his chin at the iPad laying between us on the grass.

"What if it's your life?" I test him.

Adrian stares at me for a couple of seconds, squinting his eyes as if trying to see me. I try to keep my face blank but it's very hard to, because my friend's face of resignation and resolution is killing me.

"If it helps you avenge Joey and everyone else that deserves justice, um, yes. Yes, I-I would." Adrian says in an even tone, "this power you've been given- it can literally change the world. For the good or for the bad, I guess that's up to you."

"For the good!" I almost squeak, "I've been trying to right the wrongs."

"I know. I know," his eyes show me; he understands. "now... what do you need help with?"

"I... um," I sigh, "I'm just going to say it..." it's almost impossible for me to meet his eyes, but slowly, miraculously, I do. "half your remaining lifespan."

I watch him carefully for his reaction, but he just turns his head towards the lake, looking thoughtful. "Half?"

"Yes- whatever years you have left, half of that you must give up," saying the words out loud was beyond horrible, and yet Adrian was so accepting.

"So If I've got, say, twenty years left-"

"Then you'd have ten," I finish, "Thanatos- he told me- this is kind of like a cheating device..."

Adrian takes in a sharp breath and slowly lets it out, his tense shoulders slumping down. He looks at me, his brown eyes black in the darkness, "Okay. Okay, yes. Tell Thanatos I'm in..."

"Oh, Adrian..."

"But what exactly does giving up half my remaining lifespan do for... the cause?"

"You're going to get these things; Erinyes Eyes. They will allow you to see a person's full name and their remaining lifespan floating above their heads."

Adrian's eyes glitter, "so I'd just have to take one look at Jamal, Christy, Daphne...?" I nod at every name. "and, like, even murderers and-?" again, I nod and he smiles a tiny smile.

I wasn't sure what to do next. Hug him? Hug him for moving his date of death closer? Thank him?

"Adrian this means so much-"

He stands up and pulls me up, "hey, it's okay. No problem," his voice catches but he quickly covers it up by smirking, "call up Thanatos, hm? I hope this works..."

"You and me both."

ΩΩΩ

"So there's no problem? He can just take the deal for me?"

Thanatos taps his chin, looking up at the clear blue sky. We're standing near the creek the following morning, Adrian's holding the iPad and I can tell he's shaking- the god of Death makes him uneasy- but he's been very brave so far.

"Technically it's _your _iPad," Thanatos mutters, "the deal should be yours to make... then again, if this young man is _so willing_..." Thanatos' golden eyes focus intently on Adrian, the latter is just blinking a lot and breaking eye contact and overall not very happy.

"I want to do it, I, um, if that's... if that's okay with you, Lord Thanatos, sir," Adrian licks his dry lips nervously, "Nat, she... I mean, what she's doing, it's important for me too, so, like... so yeah."

Thanatos nods his head in mock approval, "he has a way with words, your friend does, Natalia."

"Can he get the Erinyes Eyes or not?" I fold my arms in front of my chest, looking up at the god's amused face.

Thanatos clicks his tongue, "I suppose... there's not really any rule that prevents this, so..." he extends his rough hand at Adrian, "son of Hermes! Will you trade half of your remaining lifespan in exchange for Erinyes Eyes?"

Adrian hands me over the iPad and reaches out his hand, which is shaking uncontrollably, towards the god of Death. Thanatos clasps it firmly and gives it a shake.

"Ow!" Adrian yelps and draws his hand back, "what was that for?!"

Thanatos is looking at Adrian with a grim expression, "the deal has been done. Your life has been cut in half... oh, a head's up? You can't tell someone how much they have left- or you'll die." the god glances at me, "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do know," I reply stiffly, and Thanatos just nods.

"I'll be seeing you... maybe sooner than you'd like," Thanatos raises his arms, I shield my eyes and Adrian does the same covering his eyes with his arms and the god disappears in a burst of light.

"Well, that was kind of simple," Adrian says. I lower my arms and he does too.

"Oh my gods!" I gasp, "Adrian- Adrian, your eyes!"

His eyes aren't the usual warm brown, they are now a coppery color and there is another black ring around his black pupil. But he's not paying attention to me. He's frowning at something above my head and my blood turns cold.

"Can... can you see it? My... the date I'm going to...?" my voice is so low I wonder if he heard me, but he did.

"I can't, actually... are you telling me it didn't freaking work-?!"

"Oh- oh, I think it's because I'm the owner of the iPad," I muse, "so maybe that's why? Either way, you couldn't tell me, you'd die..."

"I suppose you're right..." he blinks, his unnatural eyes both scary and fascinating, "what's next?"

"We go to New Rome," I smile, thankful for a change of subject, "and we pay a little visit to Jamal to get rid of him at last."

* * *

**AU: WELL it's finally summer so i'll get thirteen up as soon as possible**


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

"Where... is... EVERYONE?!"

I didn't mind yelling in the middle of New Rome because, well, there was _literally no one around_ to hear me except for Adrian, who was very, very unhappy that I talked him into coming back to the Roman camp, the one place he absolutely hated.

"Maybe we should go," he muttered unhappily.

"Here live more than 300 people, like, they can't just disappear!" I stomped my foot in frustration.

All the stored had "closed" or "be back in 5" signs on them, and even Terminus the statue had been very willing to let us in, like he had more important things to attend to for once.

"We should go," Adrian insisted, walking up beside me and giving me a pleading look. I couldn't look away, his new eyes were both amazing and creepy, the coppery color looked even more startling in the sunlight and with the dark ring around his pupil it was just like _**wow**_. I'd done my best to hide it using the Mist, and do so in a way that only me and Adrian could see it and as far as I could tell nobody else could see his new eyes.

"Don't you think this is a little weird?" I tell him, finally turning away from his gaze and walking around the empty plaza.

"Absolutely. That's why I'm not gonna question it," Adrian tucks his hands in his jeans pockets and looks over his shoulder, at the swirling portal, "we could ask Terminus?"

"Uh, no, I don't want to deal with him."

"Neither do I," he shrugs and his eyes widen, "hey- hey, Nat, look! There's someone over there!"

A girl, no older than 13, is flipping the "open" sign on one of the stores.

I nudge Adrian's side with my elbow and we approach the girl, who's angrily muttering under her breath.

"Hey- hey, um, excuse me? Could you tell us where everyone is?" I ask.

"The coliseum," she replies, looking at mine and Adrian's orange camp half-blood tank tops. "I thought you Greeks didn't want to be part of it?"

"Part of what?"

"That guy- Jamal. He's fighting for his life right now," she says nonchalantly, "the senate made a decision."

I look at Adrian, he's several shades paler and he's blinking a lot. Oh that's right! he could see her name and the date-

"Against what?" I manage to ask.

"Monsters. They wouldn't spare any gladiators for that creep," she shudders, "and I don't wanna watch, either. So papa sent me to look after the shop." she gestures at 'open' sign.

"Um. Well. Thanks... where is the coliseum?"

"Past the lake, close by the Circus Maximus," she points, "it's huge, you can't miss it." I nod at her.

"Well, thanks, Kimberly," Adrian says. The girl frowns and opens her mouth to say something, but I grab Adrian and we flee.

ΩΩΩ

"You can't do that, Adrian. You weren't supposed to know her name."

"Hey! Thanatos said no sayin' anything about their death date, not 'bout their names."

"Still."

...

"Will she live long?" I mutter.

Adrian's mouth is set into a firm line and he looks away. Oh, gods...

Now I've never been to the Roman Coliseum, but it's basically this huge circular structure with arches everywhere, it used to be marble but looters ripped those off over time. However, this one in New Rome was still all marble and wasn't missing any chunks. As we got closer the roar of a crowd grew louder and louder, until we were at the entrance. There was no one guarding it or anything, so we simply stepped inside.

So this is where 99% of Camp Jupiter was currently at. It was all roaring and cheering and even some booing, a mass of people in purple tops and togas and regular clothes. But no orange. No one from our camp was here as far as I could tell. Wary, I zipped up my jacket and Adrian followed my lead. We made our way silently to the top where there was less people, almost everyone was trying to get a good view up front.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but is that Jamal down there fighting some harpies?"

"That's him," I confirmed.

I couldn't see very well this high up, but a bronze figure in the middle of the arena was fending off a pack of harpies. In a kind of private box that had perfect view of the fight, I could make out Jason Grace's blond hair and the dark-haired girl beside him could only be Reyna, and in his other side was a girl with lighter hair, who I assumed was Piper McLean, Jason's girlfriend. Did she support this? Or was she here for Jason's sake? Either way it felt slightly more comforting knowing another Greek was here as well.

"You've got that thinking face going on, what's up?" Adrian squints down at Jamal.

"I think they're not giving him death penalty- not by them, anyway," I mutter, "it's like the old Roman days, when slaves fought with lions and other gladiators for their freedom and stuff? I think that's what's happening."

"And I think you're right... he's doing very well, actually. He could be pardoned," I glance sideways at Adrian, he looks angry, "and that's not convenient... um, I can't see his name very well from up here..." he starts making his way down, "lemme take a closer look."

A good feeling spreads over me. Good, with his Erinyes Eyes he'll be able to see Jamal's last name at long last.

"And keep an eye out for _Christina, _and this _Daphne _ girl." I tell him as we get closer to the rim, "Christina's chubby and blonde. No idea what Daphne looks like."

"Mhm... oh? Could that be her?" Adrian pulls me aside and we hide behind an arch, were a group of Romans are cheering Jamal on.

"DESTROY 'EM, JAMAL!"

"THEY STAND NO CHANCE MAN!"

"GET THEM! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!"

The loudest and the one screaming with most feeling was, as it turns out, Christy, my blonde nightmare from a few days ago. She's leaning over the rail a lot, the only reason she's not falling over and joining Jamal is because she's got a death grip on it.

"Christina Powell?" Adrian says softly.

"Yes... that's her," a huge smile is plastered on my face.

Adrian smirks and we walk over to the rail, a few steps away from Christy, but she's so focused on her praise that she doesn't see me.

I look over at Adrian now, but his face isn't of triumph or anything now that Jamal's in sight of his Erinyes Eyes, he's frowning deeply, his coppery eyes wide in shock. He's trying to say something but between his stammering and confusion I don't understand a word.

"C'mon, what's his name?" I nudge him impatiently with my elbow. He's got the perfect view of Jamal's sweaty, tired body fighting the last two remaining harpies. I feel a rush in my head, like the one you get from riding a rollercoaster, and it must be the voice in my head, paying close attention.

Adrian opens his mouth, but what happens next is in slow motion. Christy's screech of utter despair breaks my train of thought and I swivel around to look at her, the wide, crazy eyes. One of her buddies has to pull her back so she doesn't fall over and down with Jamal, and my eyes travel down to him... to Jamal, whose mouth is open in a silent scream, as the talons of the last harpy pierce him right through his middle.

* * *

**A/N- ive actually been to the coliseum, sorry for describing it so terribly- descriptions are definetely not my thing and the one in rome just has this huge hole in the middle and there's no marble left and it's full of tursits and stuff. well, hope you enjoyed!**


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

When Evan was murdered, everything was chaos- well, chaos doesn't even come _close_ to describe what happened next.

The harpy pulled back its talon and examined the dripping red blood, Jamal's blood, as if it didn't quite know what to make of it. And then there was a _swoosh _sound and there was an arrow through the harpies' head, and it turned into golden dust.

"Above his head it said 10 seconds when I looked," Adrian screams in my ear, and it was necessary for him to do this because the amount of noise in the coliseum was _insane_. Now, I went to a One Direction concert back in my immature days and I guarantee you, it was a silent church compared to the madness going on right now.

The people were torn between being happy that the murderer was dead, and the others were outraged that the harpy had actually managed to kill him- among them, Christy , who was making gorilla-like noises and storming her way toward the praetor box- where a few people were already gathered.

I was a little disappointed that the Fates decided to take care of Jamal for me. Was this their way of showing me I didn't have _complete _control over who died and when? Either way, frightened people were shoving past us, trying to get to the exit or to Jamal or even the praetor box- who knows where they were going, all I know is I had to press myself against the rail to avoid being trampled to death.

"Keep an eye out for a Daphne!" I scream in Adrian's ear.

"TWO HAVE PASSED ME," Adrian's blinking fast, looking overwhelmed, "too many dates, too many names... I think I'm going to be sick..."

"Adrian! This is not the time to-"

But he just sinks to the floor and closes his eyes, rocking back and forth. I grab him by the shoulder and try to pull him up, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU'RE GOING TO GET TRAMPLED. GET UP! GET UP!"

He scrambles to his feet and joins me in looking down at Jamal's bleeding form. Even though a group of medics have already reached him, even I from up above can tell it's too late.

"ENOUGH!" a female voice I don't recognize booms across the coliseum, and a few people do stop in their tracks to listen but the rest just keep screaming and panicking and fleeing.

"JAMAL BRADY AGREED TO THE TERMS OF THIS EVENT FOR THE PARDON OF HIS CRIME, HE EITHER LIVED OR HE DIED. IT WAS UP TO THE FATES."

"Reyna," Adrian says beside me, pointing at the praetor box, but the craziness continues.

"PLEASE LEAVE THE COLISEUM AND RETURN TO YOUR ACTIVITIES," a different voice that I do recognize pleads, it's Piper, and she's trying to use charmspeak to get people to listen. And it actually works, most people are now doing that, and I have to grab Adrian to stop him from following that instruction. I dealt with Drew Tanaka's charmspeak for years, I now knew how to detect it and resist it-sort of.

"We should go." Adrian says for the umpteenth time today.

"But don't you want to stay and-?"

"- and what, Nat? See as they take care of this boy's body? You've got Christy's name, and I have a few possible Daphne's." Adrian's voice has an unfamiliar firmness to it, and something tells me he's not taking any of my orders right now, "let's. go. now."

"Okay, jeez." I grab Adrian's arm and he leads us through the now less frenzied crowd.

ΩΩΩ

"... I need to see her face, Adrian. The iPad doesn't work like that. I've got to, and I quote, _'picture the person or monster's face in my mind when typing his or her name, therefore people sharing the same name will not be affected._"

"Okay so what if I typed it?"

"I don't think it will work. _I'm_ the owner," and quite honestly I didn't want Adrian writing up names in the iPad anytime soon, asking him to take the Erinyes Eyes was enough. "do you even remember what they looked like? It happened pretty fast."

"One of them was tan, black hair," he says, ripping a glass blade from the ground as we sat near the strawberry fields back at camp. "the other was a redhead."

"That's no good. It's got to be clear."

"Whatever, just deal with Christina Powell for now," he smirks. He closes his unnatural eyes and lays down on the grass, unmoving.

"She's grieving Jamal right now-"

Adrian's eyes snap open and he sits up, "now you care about other's feelings? And by others I mean the _putos _that killed Joey."

"Ugh, fine! You want me to deal with her like _right now_ or-?"

Adrian nods his head super fast, "well, _yeah_. That'll only leave Octavian in the agenda. And that girl that's spewing out prophecies about you, that Daphne."

"Speaking of Daphne- I just remembered something Jason said. She's a daughter of Apollo, so we just have to find out if it's the redhead or the black hair."

"Sounds simple enough... only, what if they're _both_ daughters of Apollo?"

"C'mon."

"I'm serious. What then?"

"Well, only one of them must have the gift of prophecy. It's pretty rare."

Adrian smiles and lays back down on the grass, "I love it that you're so smart."

"Is that sarcasm?"

"No! Why- no. Nat, I mean it, okay? That's why I agreed to this in the first place," he sighs, "you wouldn't've asked for my help if you hadn't thought this like super thoroughly. So this is fine."

That made zero sense in my head but I simply smiled and focused on picking the strawberries.

ΩΩΩ

**NAME**

**CAUSE OF DEATH**

"Alright, should it be a heart attack?" I ask later on at night, outside in the dining pavilion a few minutes before curfew.

"Or you could get creative like you did with Evan," Adrian says, leaning over to see the iPad's screen.

"Would it be too much of a coincidence, though? Like Jamal's death is so recent I-"

"Everyone saw the harpy killing him- that was all devised by the Romans, so there's no way they can pin Jamal on you." Adrian's eyes suddenly glint with malice, "then here's Christy, heartbroken over the deaths of her two best friends, with this hulking depression-"

"Are you implying suicide?" my tone is dry. When had Adrian become so much like... like me? This is the voice's fault... speaking of which, they have been silent lately.

Adrian nods. "Is it possible?"

"Yes."

"Then go for it."

**NAME: CHRISTINA POWELL**

**CAUSE OF DEATH: TAKES HER OWN LIFE BY HANGING**

Her face flashes quickly through my mind, and the last thing I picture are Christy's freckles before I feel a presence in front of me. I only have time to press the lock button on the iPad before it's yanked away from my hands.

"Natalia! It's curfew time. You don't want the harpies to find you, like they did that Roman guy," I want to bury myself on the ground and disappear as Annabeth Chase's stormy eyes stare back at mine. Out of all the people! Out of all my siblings _it had to be her_.

_Get it back, get it back!_ the voice urges, and I feel a slight pounding inside my head like the voice itself wants to lunge at Annabeth for the iPad.

* * *

**felt kinda bad for lack of updates- so here's ANOTHER chapter to make up for the delay :p review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

Adrian's a mess of stuttering yet again so I do the talking, "sorry, we were just- with that," I manage, gesturing at the iPad, "can I have it back? We were just about to leave."

To my immense relief she hands it back and I hold it like it's my own child. Annabeth raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything.

"I'll be in the cabin in a second," I tell her. She stands there a couple of seconds too long but then takes her leave.

Adrian lets out a huge exhale of breath and grabs my hand, placing it over his heart, "you feel that? you feel the heart attack coming?"

"Same here," I tell him, Adrian reaches out a hand playfully towards my chest and I slap it away, "no touchy."

He laughs, "kidding. But, oh my gods, out of all the intimidating and deadly smart people-"

"You know what? You keep it for tonight," I hand it over to him, "I don't want to wake up to Ms. Chase over there taking a look at it in the morning."

"You mean future Mrs. Jackson," he smirks, and grabs it. But then he pauses and hands it back to me, "no, no, you keep it. I'm a son of Hermes, remember? That thing will be long gone by the time I notice."

"God of thieves... okay," I take it back, "but I still kind of don't want Annabeth near it." it suddenly dawned on me, "you know- Christy's probably dead by now," I said quietly.

"They won't find her till the morning," Adrian looked down at his lap.

"Hey, I need to ask you something," I glance back at the direction Annabeth disappeared to, "but it's going to have to wait till the morning. Ok?"

"Okay... goodnight."

"You're not-?"

"I am, I'm just... going to stay out here a little more."

I nod, "goodnight, Adrian."

ΩΩΩ

I wasn't wrong, the next morning I woke up to certain blonde haired architect of Olympus rummaging through my suitcase. Last night when I got back I pretended to stuff the iPad inside my suitcase, but in reality I hid it under my pillow so it was close to me.

"What are you doing?" I rolled over to my side and asked Annabeth loudly, letting her know I was awake and watching her.

She turned around hastily, her cheeks red, "I- ah, just wanted to look at that tablet of yours."

I raised my eyebrows, "why?"

She shrugged and shut my suitcase, walking away from it guiltily, "I was wondering if it's like the laptop Daedalus gave me... I'd never seen something like it before."

"Yeah, it's kind of like your laptop, but less special," I lie easily, "the 3D designs don't look as crisp, and the database always crashes."

Her gray eyes scan mine, like she doesn't believe me but at the same time she kind of does. I try a relaxed _I-am-telling-the-truth_ poker face, and after a couple seconds she just shrugs it off and leaves the cabin to my immense relief.

_Godsdammit._

ΩΩΩ

"Annabeth's on to us," I mutter to Adrian as we rest after almost being scorched to death in the lava climbing wall.

"No way!" his coppery eyes were wide.

I nodded, "she was checking my suitcase for the iPad- Hades, she asked about it!"

I had to lean in closer to hear Adrian's mumble, "is she going to be a problem? You could just..."

"Oh, no, no, no. No. No," my chuckle isn't even real it's just a nervous reaction to Adrian's suggestion, "she's Athena's favorite. She is Percy Jackson's girlfriend, she-" I sighed, "she's my sister... half-sister, but still."

"Killing Octavian is very risky too," Adrian protested, "but you're still going to do him in!"

"Are you seriously comparing Octavian to Annabeth, Adrian?"

"Annabeth could easily figure out what's happening-" but he's cut off by Marina.

Our friend Marina, and now that I saw her I remember we haven't spoken in quite some time- she looks angry.

"Hey you guys- where have you been?" she stands in front of us, hands on hips. Adrian and I are sitting on a bench surrounded by the climbing equipment we'd been using.

"Right here-" I start but she interrupts.

"Not _right now_ Natalia. I mean these past few days! You two have been sneaking about- and I had to learn from someone else you went to New Rome to see that- that Jamal get killed. What have you been doing?"

_Killing off the bad people, _I think, but don't dare say it aloud. "Sorry Marina, we didn't mean to ignore you."

She folds her arms in front of her chest, the angry not quite gone from her blue eyes, "oh, then I suppose the BFFS already know about that girl that committed suicide in New Rome?"

_Of course we do it's the first thing I made sure of in the morning, _but again I don't say this out loud. Instead I pretend to be surprised, "holy Zeus! Who was it?"

Adrian shuffles uncomfortably next to me but I ignore him, focusing entirely on Marina.

"Just this girl- she hanged herself," Marina sighs, the fight now gone and I smile a little. "she was friends with Jamal. Rumor has it Jason and Reyna find it very odd that the trio of friends is dead... first Evan, Jamal and now that girl."

"_They_ sentenced Jamal," I remind her, "the girl took her own life-"

"The praetors are concerned, that's all I'm saying," Marina sits down, visibly more relaxed, "whew, I thought you guys were mad at me for some reason?"

"Nah, we've just been...around, that's all," I beam at her. For the first time I look at Adrian out of the corner of my eye, and he looks troubled, clenching his jaw hard. "umm, we were actually going to try the lava wall again."

Marina makes a face. She hates the lava wall ever since some of her hair got burned on her first try a few months back.

"Alrighty then... I'll see you guys at lunch?"

"Yeah, sure."

She grins at both of us before skipping away. Once she's out of earshot I nudge Adrian with my knee, "What's wrong- and don't say _nothing_."

"I... um, I just..." he takes a deep breath, "I don't like lying to Marina, okay? She's our friend."

I stare at him, incredulous, "whoa mister- you didn't actually_ lie_. I did all the talking."

"B-but don't you feel bad? Even a little...?"

"No... maybe at first, but not anymore." I reply honestly, "and that reminds me- the thing I wanted to ask you last night? Can... can you hear it?"

"It what?"

"_The voice_."

"...yes. But I usually ignore it. It's very annoying."

I feel a little disappointed. Usually when the voice speaks to me it gives me self-assurance, it supports me and I've kind of grown to liking the company.

"Besides, doesn't it freak you out not knowing who's doing the talking? I can't even tell if it's a boy or a girl," Adrian continues.

"Not really, it...well, it gives me confidence. I'm not sure I could've made it this far without it."

"D'you think it's the god or whatever that stole the iPad from Thanatos?"

"It's possible. I've considered it."

"Eris or Nemesis?"

"Maybe. _I don't know_."

"Joey was a son of Nemesis."

Adrian's statement strikes me hard. I'd completely forgotten.

"It... would make sense," I said slowly, "for Nemesis to want to avenge her son. She's goddess of revenge, after all."

Adrian nods, puffing out his cheeks, "yeah... she hasn't contacted you or anything?"

"No."

"Weird."

ΩΩΩ

When Thanatos said he'd be seeing me again soon he wasn't lying- he was waiting inside the empty Athena cabin when I got back to put away my gear.

"Lord Thanatos?" I half greeted.

"Natalia. Something I feel you must know is happening." Thanato's expression was neutral, so I couldn't tell why his voice was so agitated.

"Yeah?"

"I've come to warn you. You must be cautious."

I sat down in my bunk warily, "Mhm..."

"The girl with the gift of prophecies over at Camp Jupiter... well, her prophecy came true. Those two children that died, one of them at your hand... the Romans are now aware that the prophecy is not false."

"So...?"

"Remember, you were mentioned in the prophecy, Natalia. You ought to take more precautions."

"But _I have_ taken more precautions! I... well, I got Adrian to take that insane deal instead of me."

Thanatos' eyes blaze, "that's not enough."

"What would you have me do!?"

I barely have time to cover my eyes before he's gone in a burst of light.

**Daphne's POV**

I sighed, gripping the handle of my suitcase extra tightly, "seriously?"

"It's to protect you." Reyna says firmly. She stands beside Jason in the entrance to this little underground bunker they've built near the aqueduct. I glance back up the set of stairs and at the sunlight and back at the praetors, then at the small room.

It has two bunk beds, few furniture and a messenger eagle perched on the dresser.

"Until we figure out what's causing all of these deaths we're keeping you safe," Jason told me.

"I'm not a fan of small spaces," I mutter, stepping in. "or being alone."

"More people may join you," Reyna sounds displeased, "people are getting scared. Your prophecy..." she grits her teeth, "seems like it's coming true."

"So I'm next," I say dryly.

"No." Jason insists, "we are going to keep you safe here."

"Mhm. Right."

* * *

**ah jeez i'm losing inspiration for this... i'll do my best to overcome this block cause like i know how i want it to end but i don't know how to keep this going? reviews are appreciated ****(****︿****)**


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

**Daphne's POV**

Reyna was right. In no time, the underground bunker had to be expanded because of all the people suddenly deciding they were too important to be a target.

Personally, I thought all of these '_precautions_' they were taking were unnecessary. My prophecy would come true sooner or later, it did not save Jamal or Christina and it will certainly not save me. But Reyna had talked herself into believing she could go against a prophecy.

They think I'm crazy. After fighting the giant in the war I must admit my head has seen better days, with the strange visions and the excruciating headaches sometimes I don't even know what's real and what my fevered mind is making up.

There's about ten people now, all of them are very paranoid, it's been rumored this has to do with the wrath of Athena or something like that- which is unicorn crap, but not too far from the truth- I think it's actually a daughter of Athena.

_A young girl with dark hair and green eyes with specks of yellow, freckles and a confident smile- holding the tool of Death in her hands._

I described that to Jason, and he said he might have an idea of the girl I'm talking about- he found her, interviewed her even, but apparently there's nothing suspicious or worth mentioning about her. Also the tool of death- I don't know what that is. Like the sword of Hades perhaps?

_No._ She was holding something smaller in my vision, like a slab of black stone.

I think I would like to meet her, because not knowing is worse, not knowing has been keeping me awake for the past weeks- and if she's the one that's going to kill me then she'll accomplish what that giant failed to do. Maybe it's better if she just finishes me- that will stop the pain, the visions, the pressure...

It's raining outside- I can tell because of the musty smell of the underground. The people in here are chattering quietly- all of them a good ten feet away from me at least. Who would want to socialize with the crazy girl, the reason why they decided to hide? I'm not supposed to leave the bunker- but there's nobody to stop me either.

I will find that girl.

**Jason's POV**

"What _do you mean she __**left**_?!" Reyna's not even trying to appear calm anymore. When the boy, Keith, came to tell us Daphne had left the bunker Reyna just... snapped. And with good reason, too, lately our problems had just been multiplying.

"Yeah, she wasn't there when I began countin' heads," Keith said sheepishly.

"Great, just _great_." Reyna collapsed down on a chair, pinching the bridge of her nose and muttering under her breath, "did she say where she was going...?"

"No."

Reyna exhaled angrily before standing up again. Piper, who had been quiet like me until now spoke, "Thank you, Keith. Return to the bunker now, we'll find her."

3 praetors aren't allowed, like Octavian clearly stated when Percy had also been praetor, I didn't really want the job back but better me than Octavian. Piper, on the other hand, was good with people- she was a negotiator, she could talk to a crowd in a different-better- way than Octavian could.

So she was, ah, an advisor to us. Reyna wasn't too happy at first, but thank the gods after Piper got over her inferiority complex of not being roman and Reyna being the amazing leader and girl she is- they're starting to become friends, I think. More like tolerate but still it's something.

"What do we do now?" Reyna just throws the question out here, not exactly directed at Piper or me.

"Well we couldn't force her to stay hidden," I retorted.

"Wonder where she went...?" Piper said, as she folded her arms in front of her chest, looking at me and then at Reyna, like one of us knew the answer. Reyna looked more calm, shoulders back, head raised high.

"I've been looking into what I told you a few weeks ago. That son of Nemesis that died during the... invasion," Reyna's voice is slow, her eyes seem darker. Piper and I gather closer, "Evan was a suspect. He's dead... and you know what? Christina Powell and Jamal Brady were suspects, too."

"And they are dead," Piper finishes, her kaleidoscope eyes wide.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" I asked Reyna.

"Hey you could have checked the files yourself, Jason." Reyna's tone is cold, "anyway... you know who else was a suspect for that?"

"Daphne?!" Piper asked, her beautiful face a mix of fear and surprise.

"No. Octavian," Reyna bit her lip, "he's the last one from the list of suspects concerning this Joey's death. It was ruled an accident, but..." her dark eyes meet mine, "I'm not so sure anymore."

"You're saying Octavian might have-?" Piper starts.

"He's ruthless," Reyna acknowledges, "I don't see why not. He got so angry when I called off the attack..." she gets a wistful look on her face, probably remembering that awful day. "_someone_ has a personal vendetta against the killers of this Joey it seems."

"_Again_, Rey. If you're thinking Natalia you can rule her out- _we_... Jamal died in the arena. Christy killed herself."

"I'd like to interview her myself," Reyna said dismissing me with a hard look, "with my dogs."

"Oh my gods, fine. But we should find Daphne first." Reyna nodded.

**Natalia's POV**

"Hi."

"_Holy Zeus_-" I almost fell over backwards from my spot in the amphitheater, where I decided to hang out after sword class was over and Adrian stormed out on me, because he wanted to get Marina in on this whole iPad thing and _absolutely not_, involving him was hard enough imagine peaceful goody-two-shoes Marina?

So he got mad and left- for a split second I thought he was going to completely ignore me and tell Marina anyways but he actually went towards the portals, so maybe he's going to New Rome?

I don't know _why _he would want to do that, he hates it there. Never seen him go by himself without me. Maybe he's growing up finally- maybe he's starting to listen to the voice.

And now a girl I've never in my life seen before is just casually greeting me. Her auburn hair is tied into a braid, and there's a long scar running along her arm I can't help but stare at. She's pale- very pale, like she hasn't seen Mr. Sun in a while.

"H-Hey," I say, after regaining my balance. I was sitting at the very top of the amphitheater, where I'd been privately talking to Adrian before he left like a big baby.

She stared at me with bright green eyes, they have a certain glint to them- I kind of feel like Annabeth is staring at me, analyzing me from head to toe.

"What?" I demand.

"So you are _Natalia_," she says my name slowly, tentatively almost.

"Mhm. And I don't know who you are."

She doesn't say anything, but instead gets on her tiptoes to look behind me, then she squats down and then gets a confused/disappointed look on her face when all she finds is my water bottle at my feet.

"I'm sorry? Did you like lose something?" I glance behind me to where she was looking.

"N-no, I... no," her hard gaze is starting to make me uncomfortable so I stand up- immediately she dashes forward and examines the place where I'd been sitting.

"What are you looking for!?"

She puts her hands behind her back, as if I caught her stealing something, even giving me a sheepish smile.

"_Oh my gods_." I turn around clearly annoyed, and start to make my way down, and of course, the girl follows.

"The instructor told me who you were," she says out of the blue, just when I thought she'd stopped following.

"Oh, cool so Percy knows who I am," I mutter.

"I'd been asking for you. Natalia. Natalia."

"You're starting to seriously creep me out." I uncap my water bottle at take a long sip.

"Where is the tool of death?"

I don't mean to, but it just happens- I spit the mouthful instead of choking on it, showering the girl with it but she doesn't seem to care. And still my lungs are burning. _What in Hades..._

"What... do you mean by that? are you crazy?!" I cough, throwing the bottle down, the girl is drenched.

"You- you, I saw you. Um-" for the first time she seems to realize her current wet state, "do you have a shirt you could lend me?"

"Ugh- I- yes. But what do you mean by tool of death?"

She looks down at her feet, "I don't know why I came. This was a stupid idea."

"Probably." I agree, "now.. . .are."

She looks up at me, licking her lips, her green eyes shifting nervously, "I shouldn't say..."

"Oh my gods _what is wrong with you_..."

"**NAT! **_**NATALIA**_!"

Both of us swivel around to find a sweaty, panting Adrian running towards us.

"Well, look who came crawling back," I say, not being able to help the smug smile on my face. My auburn-haired new friend continues to stare at me after losing interest in the stumbling Adrian who just reached us.

He has his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath- his face is all red. Did he run all the way from somewhere?

"What, Marina didn't believe when you ratted us out?" I almost clamp hand over my own mouth, I'd forgot the creepy girl was still here. But whatever, I didn't let slip anything important.

"...I...no, I just..." he gasps and manages to stand up but his face is still beet red, "you- you made a new fri-friend... _Daphne_, is it?"

And I realize. Adrian's trying to send me a silent signal. I lean a little away from the girl, staring her up and down, "oh? so _Daphne is your name_?"

She looks like a deer caught in headlights, and she stares at Adrian incredulously like _I've never met this boy before how does he know my name, _thank Thanatos for his Erinyes Eyes.

I try a half smile, only raising the corner of my mouth, "do you still want that t-shirt? we don't want you catching a pneumonia." she stammers something and grabs at the sides of her head, like she has a headache, but I don't hear a '_no'_ anywhere.

I think I caught on Adrian's message well. This was it. This was the girl with the gift of prophecy, the crazy girl that fought the giant- no _wonder_ she was acting so suspiciously around me. But I'm uneasy- it wasn't long ago that Thanatos came to warn me.

I hook my arm around Daphne's trying to hide the wicked smile that I feel coming, "c'mon, it's my fault you're all wet- let's go get that t-shirt." I nod at Adrian ever so slightly and he nods back.

And I drag her towards Cabin 6.

* * *

**hide yo ass octavian if u kno whats good for you**

**on a more serious note- the writer's block is still here i just had half of this done so i finished it... i like where it's headed i just don't know how to push it ugh**


	17. Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

After grabbing the iPad real quick, we headed for Zeus' Fist, which is basically this pile of rocks in the forest that supposedly looks like the fist of the lord of the sky, but in reality it looks like a pile of crap- of course, we're forbidden from calling it that, but frankly that's what it looks like.

Also campers tend to stay away from it since in the battle of the labyrinth the monster Kampê was killed there, it's rumored to be cursed, but that's a lot of stupid superstition so it was the perfect place to take our little friend.

The more time we spent with Daphne, the better I saw how crazy she really was. Adrian is basically a big teddy bear, and I'm not very burly myself, so for a second I worried getting Daphne to where I needed her to be might be a problem, but it wasn't- she pretty much willingly came with us, making these annoying whimper-y sounds along the way but besides that it was not problem.

On second thought, she did almost cause a problem, when I got the iPad she started mumbling about a "_tool of death_" and stammering like Adrian when he's nervous but I told her to _**shut up**_ and, like, _she did_- like I was a sergeant at the army and she was a private she obeyed, like I was the queen and she a peasant- she just went mute.

Which was completely fine by me to be honest- the less fuss she made the better. She already knew not to go against the prophecy- wise at that. But at Zeus' fist, her silence stopped.

"I... this place," she narrowed her eyes, "I've been here before."

"Doubt that, it's a cursed place. The monster Kampê? Got killed in battle," I tell her, "no roman would come here."

"Not physically, Natalia, Natalia... in a vision. The vision where I died." at her plain statement, Adrian makes a very unmanly squeaky noise.

I frown at her, sitting down in a rock and placing the iPad on my lap, "Look, making me uncomfortable isn't going to-"

"No, no, that's not my intention. Not at all!" she grins and sits down in front of me casually, even crossing her legs, "I've come to terms with it, really- my life is a _nightmare_. Death would mean peace at long last!"

"_Nat_..." Adrian whimpers, his coppery Erinyes Eyes resting uneasy on Daphne. I was unnerved myself, but I didn't let it show- this girl was damaged, I don't know the exact details about her fight with the giant but I do know her head's not right- and the scary part; she's totally aware of it.

"Peace from what, Daphne?"

"The pain... _the visions_," she shuts her eyes, flinching, "it hurts. It's not real. I... _make it stop_," her eyes open slowly, the vibrant green similar to my own pleading.

Now I'm at a loss. She wants me to kill her- then again, she knew it was coming- she did have the prophecy, got head's up and all- but she's _asking_, begging even.

"Look... Daphne. I'm- well, I'm sorry it happened to you- killing the giant, I mean. That you're- well," I try awkwardly- now I wasn't even sure she needed to be eliminated, this poor girl... but she was just suffering, being the crazy girl and all.

_Hesitating, are we? _I can feel the disapproval in the Voice's tone.

_Shut up. _and, like Daphne, the voice obeys.

"I didn't want to, didn't want to," she mutters miserably, "b-but, giants? they could only be killed by a god and a demigod and- I well, wrong place wrong time wrong fight wrong everything you know?"

I sigh and lean back, biting my thumbnail and watching Daphne carefully. She's folded her legs beneath her and is just staring like she'd been minutes ago, first at Adrian, then directly at me.

But suddenly she winces, pressing her hands against her temples and hissing between her teeth.

Adrian does a double take and is about to rush forward but I place a hand in his chest to stop him, "Hold on..."

She's now completely spread on the floor, holding her head and hissing.

"Nat- Nat we ought to help her!"

"Yeah and how do you suggest we do that?" I say sarcastically, "she's having one of her episodes- it'll pass."

"B-BUT SHE'S IN PAIN!"

I take my hand back and glare up at him, "okay, okay then- go, _help her_- what're you going to do? Get inside her head and beat the demons?"

Adrian grits his teeth but says nothing. Smirking, I turn back to Daphne, who's stopped hissing and is now just laying there, shuddering.

"Her episode is over. What now?" Adrian's tone is dry and unhappier than usual- at me, but I don't particularly care.

"I don't know, Adrian..." I gesture at the iPad, "for once, I don't know. I'm conflicted."

He sighs, in a kind of relief, "I knew there was a heart somewhere in that cold, indifferent exterior."

"I'm just going to pretend that was a compliment, you little-"

"Reyna... they're coming. Jason." Daphne moans from her spot on the grass.

I leap to my feet and hesitate- "wha- how... how'd you know?!"

"Ngh..."

"_SHE DID NOT JUST PASS OUT_." I rush over to the redhead, whose eyes are rolled back, and my heart is pounding so fast and so hard I wonder if Adrian can hear it.

"Maybe the pain was real bad," Adrian said.

"Thanks for your input." I snap, "Now help me carry her..."

"Nat why do you have to be like that?!"

"Be like _what_ for the love of Zeus?!" I swivel around to face him, get a good look at his glaring face- a face he'd never made at me before. He stands really close- so close I can distinctly see the black ring around his pupil- and realize it's not one ring but two thin ones real close together.

"Like... like you don't care about anyone!" he yells.

"ADRIAN DON'T YOU DARE-"

"-seriously! What happened to you? Lying, killing, being just plain out cruel-"

"- I'm doing this for _Joey_. Our friend Joey, spear through his chest, remember him? Maybe you don't, since you're-"

"-and to think I might've been in love with you..."

I groan, "Adrian, please, _please_ not now."

"Oh? Then _when_? You're a smart girl, Nat. You obviously knew how I felt- you just. didn't. care."

"Ah... Adrian, Adrian... of-of course I care, okay? Just... ugh," I cannot believe he's bringing that up _now_. "there's... um." _more pressing matters than your hormonal self_ I want to scream, but I don't. "You're my best friend. I don't want to ruin that."

"GODS! I can't believe you're playing the _'I don't want to ruin our beautiful friendship_' card. Just- _gah_!"

"Adrian, this is not the place, and it's _certainly not the time_." I try to keep my voice calm, reasonable, but the urgency is still there. "I.. we- we'll talk, okay? I care, I do. Just... _come on_. We've spent so much time together lately-"

"_killing people_-"

"True that," my patience is wearing thin by this point, "but still- I like it, don't you? The late nights, the laughs..."

I see his shoulders relax a little, his tone less furious, "yes, I suppose... I just wish the reason was different."

_If the girl is right that means the Romans are on their way, _the voice says in the impeccable timing that it has, _you know what will shut him up._

_Dear Prometheus on a rock, __**fine**__! _I think back furiously.

I get up on my tiptoes and land a firm, quick kiss on Adrian's lips.

"Now, _please_, help me get her somewhere else," I point at Daphne. I can feel my cheeks burning, more from embarrassment than anything else. Adrian on the other hand, looks both dazed and pleased.

"U-um... Yes, yes of course!" there's this silly, dreamy smile on his face, "actually- I know the perfect place! They'll never find us."

"Good... and, Adrian?"

He's got Daphne's arm slung over his shoulder, supporting her into a sort of standing position. He raises an eyebrow at me, the stupid smile still there, "ya?"

"Thank you." I wonder if I had ever told him this, and meant it.

* * *

**adrian bby  
**

**hopefully not confusing on who was yelling at who? plowing through this writer's block, so far so good :) **

**reviews are very welcome!**


	18. Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

I knew kissing Adrian was a stupid idea.

Sure, it got him to stop complaining and go back to following my lead- but it also meant he wanted more. He made these indirect comments about it, silently asking for another and it was just plain _annoying_. Didn't he realize we had more urgent things to do? We were _one_ away from getting rid of all of Joey's killers, only Octavian remained. But Daphne... I honestly don't know _what_ to make of her. Her prophecy of the deaths and my involvement is an issue, but really it's not _her_ fault, she can't control it- and her head's so messed up, I don't even...

"... I think nobody knows about this place. Maybe Leo Valdez, but..." Adrian's been talking and I didn't even realize.

"What?" I glance sideways at him as we walk through the forest, getting further and further away from Zeus' Fist.

Adrian sighs, a little annoyed that I hadn't been listening, but he does repeat himself, "you know Bunker 9? Where Leo found the design for the Argo II and where Festus was built and all that? The secret bunker used in the Demigod Civil War-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not stupid I know which one you mean." kissing Adrian had bothered me more than I'd like to admit, being rude to him was just an impulse I couldn't control now. He didn't deserve the way I treated him...

"Okay, that one. It's Bunker 9, yeah? Hephaestus cabin is 9. So..." he leaves me to add the dots.

"Oh- so there's a bunker for every cabin?"

"I don't know, I haven't found them all, just the one we're going to- and it's not 9. That one you can only open with fire."

"Which one then?"

He smiles slightly, "I'm thinking it's Athena's. Though I've only been able to go in once- it gives you a riddle to open and- um, as you well know, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed."

I bite back my snarky remark about how that's true, resolving that yes, I should be nicer to Adrian after all he's willingly done for me.

"But with you'll solve it, I'm sure, so it's fine." he says.

"And if I don't?" well there goes my resolve.

"Then Daphne could help us out." it takes a lot of my willpower to hold back the sarcastic comment that would've gone great with his reasoning.

"Huh, you know... why are we even running? How do we know they're onto us?" I point out instead.

"Let's just trust Daphne on this one, Nat. Not take any chances."

"We're just going to look suspicious running..."

"Oh! There, that's it. The door."

"I don't see anything-"

"It's covered by those vines, silly. Here- hold her," he practically throws Daphne's dead weight on me and I almost fall, and with some struggle I manage to keep her in a standing/leaning position against me. He runs to this sort of rock wall covered in vines that would probably go unnoticed unless you were looking for something.

Adrian easily parts the vines and looks at me over his shoulder, doing a "_come here_" motion with his finger. Grunting I manage to keep the iPad tucked under my arm drag Daphne and myself to where he is. There is absolutely nothing in the rocky surface.

"_**Shazam**_!" Adrian yells.

I'm no expert on comics or anything, but I'm sure that's the phrase Captain Marvel uses when he wants to-

"_**What falls, but does not break, and what breaks but does not fall?**_"

"_What the actual hell_?!" I almost jump back from the rock that just _spoke to us in Greek_. Most half-bloods can understand the ancient language, myself included. Adrian takes Daphne's heavy form from me, and because of my little almost-outburst Daphne groans, regaining a little consciousness but not opening her eyes.

"Answer." Adrian says, staring at me expectantly. "it will open the door."

"Wha- but...hm. Okay. Okay. Let me think..."

_**What falls, but does not break**_

_**what breaks but does not fall**_

And for good measure, Adrian repeats it, "something that falls and doesn't break, and something that breaks but doesn't fall?"

Huh...

"Jeez, I've no idea," he shrugs, "you see now why I couldn't get in anymore. The first question I barely knew- asked me that dumb riddle that the sphinx asked Oedipus and he solved about the humans and-"

"Night falls." I say quietly.

"Huh-?"

"Day breaks." I say, and place a hand on the smooth rock surface and repeat, "_night falls and day breaks_."

I draw my hand back as the rocks begin to shudder and a door-size slab of stone opens up to reveal a passage.

Adrian grins affectionately at me, "Called it."

ΩΩΩ

This place was basically a copy of Bunker 9, but more Athena-oriented, in fact it looked like my cabin but with a touch of the past- people probably hadn't been here for at least 60 years from the dust prints we found.

"Bunker 6, I guess," I say as we settle down in a small living room-like area with fancy couches, Adrian places Daphne down on a lounge chair- she's now muttering in her sleep.

"Why did the door open when you said _shazam_?" I ask Adrian as he plops down next to me on the loveseat even though there's plenty of other chairs available.

"I coulda said anything, really, last time I activated with '_the hell is up with this rock'_," he shrugs, "but I don't know, I kinda like the word _shazam_."

When I turn my head to face him I realize his nose is just inches from my face, and he has a little smile going on. I get the hint, but really it's still not a good time to deal with this crush-thing he has on me so I try to casually lean back and change the subject.

"Do you think Joey approves of what we're doing?"

Adrian looks disappointed, but does lean away from invading my personal space which is nice, "How am I supposed to know? He's dead."

I glare at him before folding my arms in my lap, "he was a son of Nemesis, so..."

"What, that doesn't mean he'd like you killing off all those guys."

"Holy Hera Adrian! _What side are you on_?!"

"Yours, yours!" he says, raising his hands in front of him in a surrender-like manner, "I'm like Marina, like, I'm not a _huge _fan of it, but..."

"Marina would have a stroke if she knew about this," I laugh to myself.

Adrian nods, "yes, she would... so, um, what do we do now?" he raises two thick eyebrows suggestively, and with a hand gestures at Daphne who is still unconscious.

I sense the double question in that and quickly stand up, "I'm going to explore for a bit, actually... who knows what stuff my siblings of the 1960's left behind?"

"Ah Nat come on!"

But by the time his whiny voice reaches me I'm already halfway down the stairs to the second level of the underground bunker. I can hear his sigh of frustration but, hey, ain't nobody got time for time consuming things like that. Besides, if I could find something that might assist me with this tricky situation that would be superb.

It's one work station after another, with unfinished projects and paper everywhere- like I said, not unlike my cabin. It also reminded me a bit of Bunker 9 but here there were less inventions and more information.

"She's making noises!" Adrian's scared voice reaches me from above.

"That's good." I call back. I reach a work station that's probably been abandoned for far longer than I have been alive. I wrinkle my nose at all the dust in here, and try to blink it out of my eyes. The worktable has plans for designs, maps, even random notes. There's also half-way finished inventions, but they are rusty and will probably blow up if I as much as breathe near them.

"She's talking, Nat! Nat! She's saying stuff!" Adrian's panicked voice reaches me once again.

"Write down what she says for posterity!" I call back, the sarcasm thick as I scan the worktable and all the nifty gadgets there, "those random sleepy mumbles are always useful."

It's so silent and the echo so strong I can actually hear the pen scratching on paper as Adrian follows my dumb suggestion, I also catch snippets of the indistinguishable mumbles of Daphne's sleep talk.

_She has the gift of prophecy, you know. What she's saying might be vital, _the Voice's low rumble inside my head startles me and I drop the metal thingamabob I'd been examining.

_Yes, that's why I'm having Adrian write it down for future reference, _I deadpan.

_Hmm, mmm... that Adrian. How long do you think he'll keep playing your little game? Sooner or later, he will get tired, Natalia. Mark my words. Unless you act on his advances, things might get complicated. _Two things annoy me: the condescending tone the Voice is using and that it's _**right**_.

_You don't think I'm aware of all those things? I'll keep him happy, Mr. Voice, don't you lose sleep over that._

_I picked you for a reason, girl. Your wits is one of them- don't disappoint me._

_Shut up._

"Nat a little help? She's waking up!" Adrian's desperate tone makes me smirk.

"Yeah, hold on," I call back.

I'm about to leave when something catches my eye- it's about the size of a cardboard box, covered in a ratty blanket- which I grab and yank away only to reveal, indeed, a cardboard box- but said box has something interesting printed on the side.

A bear. A she-bear, I think.

_The symbol of Artemis._

The huge grin that comes on my face would have made the Cheshire cat jealous.

* * *

**please review!  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately **(◡︿◡✿)

* * *

I'm giggling like a child in Christmas morning by the time I get back to Adrian who's sweating profusely- I can tell by the sweat stains on his orange t-shirt.

"H-hey you're back," he says, then notices the box in my hands, "what'cha got there?"

"I found this _thing_," I reply, sitting down across from him.

"Oh, cool... um, well, I think you ought to hear what Daphne just-"

"Look, it's got the sacred animal of the goddess Artemis just here on the side... do you know what this-"

"_**NAT**_! I seriously think you have to listen for once, because, really, what's just happened affects whatever plans you might've had." Adrian's voice gets that unfamiliar firmness to it again.

"Jeez, fine... _oh_-_gah_!" I almost fall backwards when I see Daphne's piercing green eyes staring into my soul, "Gods _you are so creepy_. And good to see you're awake."

"Natalia I have news of the upmost importance." the tone she's using reminds me of Rachel Elizabeth Dare's, the one she uses when discussing serious prophecies and such being the Oracle of Delphi and all.

"Well, tell me."

"Octavian is on the run, I just had this vision-"

"_OH FOR THE LOVE OF ZEUS-"_

_"- _Reyna's on to you. Jason is unsure, but what I do know is this: they're looking for you. Reyna shared her suspicions with Octavian, that he might be the last target on your hit list or whatever agenda you've got." what unnerves me the most is the calm, collected tone she's using.

"B-but how do you know about Octavian... and be detailed!" I'm not sure why she's so willing to help, but hey, I'm not one to question the mentally unstable.

"The underground bunker at Camp Jupiter they built to protect me- Octavian barreled in, in hysterics, claiming that he's next all wild-like and stuff... then the vision changed, he's packing, couple shirts, couple stuffed ducks" oh, yeah, the Augur at Camp Jupiter reads the will of the gods using animal stuffing wonderful. "and he's out of the safe borders."

"On the run." Adrian confirms, like I'm deaf or something.

My hands are shaking but the last thing I want is either of them seeing that so I fold them on my lap to try and dissimulate it, placing a forced smile on my face, "Okay. Okay. Let me think, a good plan is what we need..."

Adrian nods at me with the hopeful, trusting look he often has when looking at me and Daphne's mind is now elsewhere, she's crossing her eyes and fiddling with her hands in a very childish way.

Mentally crossing my fingers I peek inside the box.

After a few seconds I feel the smile coming back to my face, as well as a plan forming in my mind- the perfect thing, if the junk inside the box could do the trick the way I'm assuming it can...

"Oh- _oh_, I know that look, I know it!" Adrian perks up like an excited puppy, a knowing smile on his face, "we've got ourselves a plan?"

"That we do," I close the lid on the box, "but... first things _first_," I glare at Daphne who is now picking at the holes in her jeans and making helicopter noises, "you. What is up with you, what side are you on?"

"... I came here because I thought you were going to kill me. Are you not going to?"

"Uh- maybe?"

Daphne nods like I said exactly what she wanted to hear and then she curls her lip, "you will, though, I foresaw it. You and the tool of death."

I bite at my thumbnail and study her, "I don't get it... it almost sounds like... like, you know..."

"Like you wanna die," Adrian finishes for me.

"Yes, I thought I'd made that clear?" she has the nerve to look confused.

"Oh yeah with the whole _my life is a nightmare_ thing," I recall. "but... like, _you meant it_, and just... I can't wrap my mind around _that_."

She shrugs and I clasp my hands in front of me, and think, the Athenian gears in my mind turning and working carefully to fully perfect this plan. Tweaking my plan a little I make an offer. "Okay, so, for this plan... I could have a use for you, but, like... it'd involve helping us, obviously, and I don't know if you're up to that."

"Would it end up killing me?"

"Um..." _gods_ this girl is an expert at making me uncomfortable, "if it all goes accordingly, perhaps..."

But she sees right through my lie and smiles knowingly, shutting her eyes "okay, I'll help."

"But you'll die!" Adrian wails. Well, she's not the only one that saw right through that one- also what in Hades Adrian?!

"It's okay." and the way she says it, you think _yes, it's okay, this is okay._

But it really isn't.

ΩΩΩ

"Here is how it is going to go down gentlemen-"

"But I'm not a man."

"Daphne can you please _shut your_-"

"Nat don't be so rude."

"Adrian just- _ugh_. _Starting over_. Adrian, you're staying here with Daphne and _that_-" I point at the box I'd found. Adrian opens his mouth and I quickly answer the unspoken question, "inside that box is, what I hope, some _very_ powerful and _very _dangerous hunting equipment. That, dear people, is what we'll be using to track down Octavian. As you well know Artemis is goddess of the hunt, so..."

"You can just kill him from a distance," Adrian protests and I raise a hand dismissively.

"Yes, but then again- this is it. This is the last person. Joey's final murderer and the one most likely to have arranged it... I'd like to see the justice be done myself."

I couldn't possibly explain out loud _why _I needed to see Octavian with my own eyes, I just really yearned to see it dawn on him what a terrible bad call it was to kill Joey-besides, if he's on the run, who would know about his death if I simply used the iPad to kill from a distance. No, I had greater plans for this fool.

"You're talking just like the Voice," Adrian accuses.

"What Voice? I hear voices in my head all the time," is Daphne's unwanted input, "you guys too?!" her eyes are suddenly wide.

"_Shut up_. Like I was saying, you stay here and you track Octavian with the equipment- and by _you_ I mean Daphne." I look at her, "I'm not positive yet, but that equipment could potentially cause your premature death."

Adrian makes a tiny whimper noise in the back of his throat- of course, he can see Daphne's death date right above her head, cutting it short bothers him.

"If you want, that is," I add quickly.

"I... yes. Yes, I'll do it, no problem."

I'm a little taken aback at how easy that was- and the look of determination in her face sends chills down my spine- but they're the good kind. Adrian, on the other hand, looks distressed but thank the gods he saves his opinion to himself.

"Meanwhile I'll be going over to pay a visit to Reyna. See what she knows, throw her off- Adrian... I..." I sigh and swallow a lump I hadn't known had been forming in my throat, "I'm going to need you to keep an eye on the iPad, if things go south and I don't come back I... well, I'm going to need you to write down some names."

"Nat..."

"I know, I... _Adrian_."

"But you're the owner. I thought only you could do it."

"Yeah and technically I was supposed to take the eye deal too," my eyes are locked on his coppery ones, "I need your help."

For a second I panic with Adrian's conflicted expression, he's biting his lip so hard he might draw blood- but he sighs, rubbing the back of his head, "I can't guarantee it'll work if I do it, but..."

"Oh gods thank you!" without thinking it through I throw myself at him, with such force we almost fall off the couch. In the back of my mind I can hear the Voice approving, knowing this is what it'll take to keep Adrian around, but for now Daphne's surprised squeal is the main source of my embarrassment- that and Adrian's surprised, delighted laugh.

I quickly lean back and grin at him, "okay. You stay here- I'll contact you with these" I pull out of the box an earpiece and a walkie-talkie thing. "not sure how these work- but I'm guessing it was to contact the members of the hunt group or whatever the intention was, Artemis herself might've used these years ago."

"So you're going to confront Reyna?" Adrian asks but I barely pay attention to him; Daphne has now the box placed between her legs and is studying its contents.

"Whoa- so for this to work it takes some of my energy?" she asks.

"Yes and yes," I reply to both of them, "uh, there were some instructions in there- you'll figure it out," I stand up, "I'll be back."

Adrian nods, his fingers gripping the iPad while Daphne is focused on reading a piece of paper that probably came in the box. She looks fascinated.

I walk towards the door, mentally preparing myself to lie at Reyna- and her _dogs._

For some reason it felt like endgame.

* * *

**sorry for the wait! but i hope you enjoy. long reviews are the best kind**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/U: I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LACK OF UPDATES! I can't stress it enough, but here's the next part, sorry for the wait! Also here's a little reminder so you don't have to go back to remember what was going on**

**-On Natalia's little hit list only Octavian remains, he left Camp Jupiter so Adrian and Daphne are trying to track him down with some Artemis hunting equipment. Meanwhile, Reyna wants to ask Nat a couple of questions using her dogs and I think that's it**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson unfortunately (****︿****)**

* * *

I got back to a sketchy sight:

Piper, Jason and Reyna were standing in front of the Big House, talking to Chiron who was standing tall in his white centaur form. Two guys in full roman armor approached them and shook their heads. And then they saw me.

"Natalia." Chiron's tone seemed relieved, "we had been looking for you."

The group of 5 studied me, but I was holding nothing, I'd left the iPad with Adrian. All I'd brought was an earpiece that may or may not work, and Adrian had kept the walkie talkie thing that went with it.

I feel myself relax a little when I don't see Reyna's dogs with her. That's the thing I'm dreading the most- my lies had to be perfect if the dogs could sense my heartbeat and body language and stuff to know if I wasn't telling the truth- if they were just magical then I was screwed. But they are automatons they probably worked the way I was expecting.

"Yeah?" I walk up to them, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible.

"Yes." is Reyna's response. Out of all of them she's the one searching my face the hardest with her dark eyes. "we'd like to ask you some questions."

"Regarding what?"

"One of our campers. Her name is Daphne," she lets the name hang in there for a moment, waiting to see if I'd react. I keep my expression neutral and the praetor continues, "she's gone missing."

"Don't know her," I lie straight away, might as well get some false statements going while she doesn't have her dogs with her.

Reyna nods but dismisses what I just said quickly, "still. Can you come with us?"

Jason has one arm around Piper, and they're both looking uncomfortable. Piper is looking at me curiously like _Annabeth's little sister? Her?_

My eyes shift from Reyna's to Chiron's and back to the praetor's, "um, okay."

_You're doing good, _the Voice's praise whispers in my mind, _keep it up, and when the time of those automaton dogs comes I will help._

That's so reassuring I smile a little, but quickly set my mouth in a straight line at the curious look Jason gives me.

Reyna nods at the two roman guards that came with them, "let's go."

ΩΩΩ

In the middle of walking behind the two praetors and Piper (with the two other Romans behind me) a burst of static in my ear almost made me cry out.

"...he...hello...testing, testing...Nat?" Adrian's crackly voice says.

"...yes, I'm here, it works," I say as low as possible. Luckily no heads turn my way.

"...oh, okay, good...found him...not too far..."

"Octavian?" I say in a dangerously loud whisper, Piper tilts her head a little to look at me out of the corner of her eye but I keep walking, pretending to be fascinated by New Rome's landscape and she turns away.

"Yep...Daphne not in good shape... what do I do?"

Before I can reply we stop at a small concrete building similar to the cell thing Jamal had been held in. The two guards behind me immediately rush forward and stand on either side of the door. Reyna goes in without a word. Jason and Piper hang back, watching me expectantly.

"Oh- you guys aren't going in?" I ask, standing outside with them awkwardly.

Jason shakes his head and Piper smiles a little. I successfully stop the scowl I felt coming on my face and smile back at Piper, forcedly but still. I try to casually turn off the earpiece in my ear because the static is driving me crazy and I don't understand anything that Adrian is trying to say. After doing that I follow Reyna in.

Inside is the simplest room: absolutely nothing, just a chair and a two torches to provide some light since there are no windows.

And then I see them. Two greyhounds, one silver and one gold. Argentum and Aurum, their names literally translating to _gold_ and _silver_. Their ruby eyes are threatening the second I walk in. Reyna casually places a hand on Aurum, who is now snapping its teeth at me. Argentum is growling. "Have a seat."

She thinks the more I fear them, the more reaction I'll show. I meet her eyes. _Take slow, normal breaths. Eyes relaxed, mouth straight._ "Fine."

_Now is when I begin helping, _the voice murmurs inside my head, _as long as you do well I shall do the same. _For the shortest of seconds Argentum's eyes turn black but just as fast they turn ruby again, but they are not a little dimmer. Same happens with Aurum, Reyna doesn't seem to notice.

What has the voice done?

As expected, Reyna starts with simple, irrelevant questions. "Is your name Natalia Ganem?"

"Yes."

"When is your birthday?"

"November 20."

"And your mother is Athena?"

"Yeah, she is." My tone stays flat and emotionless. Each time I answer, I pause for several seconds and let my breathing become shallower, which in turn makes my heart pump faster. If those dogs are measuring my physical rates, it'll make it harder to tell when I'm actually lying.

"You were friends with a son of Nemesis...a Joey?"

I make the mistake of looking at her dogs. They are staring in attention, their ruby-eye stare intent on me.

"Yes, we were friends." _before the people from your camp murdered him, _I want to add but I hold it back.

"You knew Evan Turner, Jamal Brandy and Christina Powell?"

I hesitate for a second—but when Reyna notices this she glances down at her dogs but they do not react, I force myself to turn back into a blank slate.

"Yes, I talked to them a few times."

Reyna's dark eyes narrow slightly, "and were you aware that these people were suspects in Joey's death?"

A dangerous question. I harden my heart against it. "Jamal and Evan let it slip, so yes." I reply with my jaw set.

I almost jump out of my seat when Argentum makes a yipping sound, but Reyna just gives me an approving nod for answering correctly. I try to steady my hands as they stay clenched and trembling at my sides.

"I see," she murmurs a moment later.

I keep my head high and my eyes on Reyna.

"So you know it wasn't an accident."

"Mhm."

"And that the augur, Octavian, may have also been involved."

"_Yes_."

Again Reyna looks at her dogs, this time her eyebrows are arched, confused even. She shakes her head and focuses on me, "Are you glad most of Joeys alleged killers are dead?"

"Anyone's death shouldn't be something to be glad about."

"You told me you don't know Daphne, the girl who says all of this is your doing, and now she's gone missing. Thoughts?"

"I don't have any. I don't know her." I say easily. There's a moment of silence, but thank the gods, the dogs do not react at all.

"Octavian. He left camp, he felt threatened. What do you think of that?" Reyna says after the silence starts getting awkward.

"I don't know why he'd feel threatened. Jamal killed Evan. _You_ guys killed Jamal," I point out, trying to turn this on her. "And, well, Christina killer herself didn't she?"

The corner of Reyna's mouth quirks up, "Okay... Natalia. I guess... I guess this is my final question." her hand rests lazily on Aurum's back tapping it affectionately. "Did you kill Jamal Brandy, Evan Turner and Christina Powell?"

A shudder runs through me. Iremain silent until my heartbeat steadies. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and then open them again. "No," I say. "Their deaths have nothing to do with me."

I wait for the dogs to bark crazily, to pounce at me and rip my face off, to reveal that I'm lying. But they are quiet, sitting obediently beside their master.

"You're telling the truth," Reyna finally says, disappointment and worry clouding her face.

I've passed. I can't believe it. The dogs indicate I'm telling the truth.

But they're only machines.

* * *

**this was actually really fun to write, again sorry for the delay.**


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